A Death Note FanFic LxOC
by xxNoTimeToRegret
Summary: Adelynn Jae Christoph's life is turned upside down when her family is murdered at the grocer's, and only one person seems to want to help her: Hideki Ryuuga. But what happens when she finds out that he's none other than the world's greatest detective, L?
1. Falling

**Disclaimer: I don't own any character but the OC, Adelynn Jae Christoph. **

**Enjoy. Please comment/ criticize. Snide comments cherished and laughed at. ^^**

**Part One - Falling**

The unrelenting buzz of the fluorescent lights overhead annoyed me to no end. Why did they pick today of all days to make the lights buzz so damn loud? I tapped my foot in a steady beat and took a deep breath. The one person desk I was sitting at creaked angrily as I bent over the large stack of papers resting on top of it. The title on the first page was, "To-Oh University Entrance Exam" and I was already working on the last two pages in the booklet, with forty five minutes of the exam left. The other students taking the test were all fidgeting restlessly and glancing around the room, like I was. Sitting to my right was a girl in a bright blue sweater and red pants, who was half asleep and drooling mindlessly all over her answer booklet.

To my right was a young man in a dark green sweater, and directly in front of him was another man sitting in a very awkward and painful-looking position; legs tucked underneath him and hands resting on his knees, with a very noticeable slouch. His raven black hair covered most of his face as he bowed his head over his papers, scribbling things very slowly and patiently. He seemed like the only one who wasn't as keen to get out of the room as everyone else was. Every couple of minutes he'd put his pencil down, stare straight ahead of him at the back of another student, think something through, then very slowly he'd pick up his pencil again and resume writing. Hideki Ryuuga, I think his name was.

As I watched him go through this process once more, he turned his head in my direction and our eyes met. I held his gaze for a moment, but then turned back to my unfinished test. Unsure of whether or not he was still looking over at me, I shot a quick glance to my right and saw that he was nibbling on the eraser of his pencil, concentrating on the paper in front of him. I followed his lead and began writing my response to the next question on my test.

As I got nearer to the last question, the phone rang, startling me and many others out of our dreamlike state. The shrill ringing went twice more until one of the chaperoning professors reached it. The professor, a woman with deep black hair and thick-rimmed glasses, muttered an irritated greeting, and then shot a glance in my direction. "Yes." I heard her answer curtly, then with her back to me and the rest of the students, "Yes. Of course. Right away. Good-bye."

She turned on her heel and walked briskly in my direction, an indescribable expression on her face. She stopped as she got to the right of my desk and muttered, "Ms. Christoph?"

I nodded once, and she replied, "Please step out into the hallway. Your test will be collected and you can make up the questions you missed at a later date." I just stared at her dumbly for a moment, and then sighed.

"Do you know what for?" The question probably seemed rude, but at the moment I didn't care. I'd been preparing for this test the whole entire year, devoted almost every single night to studying for it. There was no way I was going to be lead away from it so easily. The professor's eyes were pleading, sad, a hidden message in them as she looked at me.

"The police are out there waiting for you."

That wasn't the reply I'd been expecting, and I'm sure my shock was plainly etched on my face. I nodded slowly, an anxious suspense rising within me. I got up nervously to my feet and grabbed my black messenger bag up off the floor. I looked around, and almost every pair of eyes was on me. I glanced to my right, behind the professor, and Hideki was staring right at me, calculating, a look of intense concentration and puzzlement on his pale face. I flushed red, took a deep breath, and began my journey to the front door, slipping in-between desks and muttering half-hearted apologies as my book bag hit a few choice people in the head.

I'd remember everything about that day, from the way my dark brown hair kept falling over my blue eyes to the way my plaid black and red skirt swished on my way to the door. That was the day everything would change, but I didn't know that much yet.

As I drew closer to the door, there was an outbreak of muttering, wild guesses as to what I'd done to land myself in trouble. Through the large window on the front door leading to the hallway, I saw two policemen in black uniforms standing there, hats off. I was confused by this; by the way they looked so solemn and uncomfortable.

I reached the door, twisted the knob and stepped out into the hall, shutting it quietly behind me. I stood right in front of the door and faced the two officers, a nervous look on my face. It was silent and the tension was unbearable. Finally, a rather short, stocky officer said in a squeaky and rushed voice, "We are very sorry to inform you that your mother and grandmother were shot and fatally wounded on their way home from the grocer's-"

I didn't hear any more, at the words 'fatally wounded', my brain shut off and I felt nothing but numb shock. I backed up against the door and slid down it slowly, my mind in a comatose state. Then everything went black, and I heard no more.

**--**

**A/N: So... what do you think? This is my first fanfic, ever, and so I'm anxious to see what everyone thinks! Please don't be afraid to harshly criticize, it'll help me write and get things up here faster! Thanks - Sydney**


	2. Realization

**Part Two: Realization**

When I came to, I was lying in the clinic on one of the lumpy cots in the corner. I didn't open my eyes at first, just listening to the buzz of faint murmuring a few feet ahead of me and trying to recall what was going on. Then everything came crashing back to me, and I opened my eyes and sat bolt upright. It couldn't be true, my mom and grandmother couldn't be dead. I'd just said good-bye to them this morning, had them wish me good luck on my test and make plans to go to a celebratory dinner once I got back home. It was all a mistake, I was sure of it.

The nurse noticed that I was awake and hurried to my side. A small crowd of people: the principal, two policemen, and three of my professors, bustled over to me, too. They all had that same sympathetic look in their eyes, and it bugged me. How could they be so foolish as to think that it was _my _only remaining family that had been shot? Concern was something else that was transparent on their faces, worrying about how I'd be reacting to all this. This also irritated me, and pushed me to say, "There must be some mistake. My family can't be dead. There's absolutely now way." I finished my statement lamely.

I'd been planning to go off on a rant about how ludicrous everyone sounded and how I had to get home to help my grandmother get ready to go to dinner, when I realized that I was the one being ridiculous. My words sounded false, pleading in my own head, and hadn't my mom been planning to go buy some more supplies for our newly renovated kitchen? And of course, my grandmother couldn't be left alone these days or she might set the house on fire while meaning to cook some popcorn. We didn't live in the nicest part of town, either; it was only my hard work in grade school that I got a scholarship to this university, and I had to ride a forty minute bus to just get on campus. Even though the evidence was plain in front of me, I didn't want to believe it. This couldn't be happening to me, not now, not ever.

"This is no mistake, ma'am. We're all terribly sorry." I took in the officer's pitying face, then nodded slowly and slumped against the wall.

"Now what? Where do I go?" This was just to give me some stalling time beofre the full realization of my situation hit and I shut off completely.

"Well, there are a few choices. Since your father can't be located and there are no other known family members, you could either live on your own, the records say you are eighteen and legally an adult, or you could live with a trusted friend or neighbor. The choice is yours."

"I'd never be able to pay the rent." I muttered childishly, and then but my tongue. What a ridiculous comment, when I had so much more to worry about and grieve over. My two remaining family members, my life, my guardians, gone. Forever. And not coming back.

I let this all run through my head, then I gave a terrible, gut-wrenching sob. My body began to tremble and I completely forgot there were other people in the room; oblivious to the fact that now students were gathering around the windows looking in to the clinic, watching me completely fall apart. I don't think I would've cared, anyway. The only people I truly cared about were lost forever, and I'd never see them again. Let them stare.


	3. Plans

**Part Three - Plans**

I walked through the once cheery rooms of my house, slowly and deliberately, not looking at anything but the familiar white carpeting. I crossed the threshold into my room and sat on my bed. Everything in here looked so different, so cold, although it was the same as I had left it this morning. My heart gave a painful throb as I saw that someone, either my mom or grandmother, had come into my room and organized my desk while I was at school. They probably thought I was too busy and needed a break. I expected the tears to come back as soon as I saw this small gesture of love, but apparently I'd cried myself out back at the university. I just kept on staring at the newly dusted furniture, thinking about how quickly so many things had changed...

Once I had finished sobbing at the university, the policemen had driven me to the morgue to identify the bodies. Just seeing them both lie there, lifeless and cold, had made me run out of the room and get sick. The officers had then reiterated me that they had the suspect in custody, and a trial was to be held later on that week. They dropped me off at my house, and then left rather hurriedly before I had another episode.

I shook my head vigorously, to try and rid of the thoughts that would haunt me forever. It was strange to think about how this morning all I'd wanted was to pass my exam, and now I was literally on my own with a funeral looming on the horizon. I wish now that I could've gone back in time and told them how much they mean to me; how much I'll always love them. My mind kept flipping through various phases of my life when my mom and grandma were always there for me; when I had my first school dance, my first sleepover, my first heartbreak, even when I had only scraped a knee, all I had to do was call and they'd be with me, no matter what.

"Why did you go?" I asked, and my voice seemed too loud in the silence, too alive.

It was then that the phone rang, and I reluctantly got off my bed and headed to the empty living room, where a phone was hooked up to the wall.

"Hello?" My voice still sounded too loud, yet so distant.

"I heard what happened... I'm so sorry." My friend Kimiko's voice sounded empathetic. She was the closest I'd ever come to having a best friend, yet we never hung out or talked to each other except at school. I was surprised to hear her voice, and was grateful that I had someone to talk to.

"Thanks." I said, unsure of what to say next.

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm... better, at the moment. I was a wreck when I found out."

"Yeah, I saw. Well, me and the others who were taking the test. We saw you pass out."

"Great." I mumbled, slightly irritated by her insensitivity.

"It was okay, though. I mean, you reacted better than any of us could. I know I would've been kicking and screaming." She tried redeeming herself. I appreciated the effort. "So... what are you going to do next?"

I paused and thought for a moment, then said, "I'm not completely sure, but I figured that I'd have enough money for a few month's rent, then I'd just crash somewhere else until I can get on my feet again." I had bluffed my way through this, but it sounded like a good idea nonetheless.

"Wow. Well, I'll be here if you need me..." she sounded uncertain as to whether or not she really would be and I grinned, figuring that she had said what anybody else would've said given the situation.

"Thanks. I really appreciate it. I think the funeral's next week." I felt empty and strangely distant as I spoke those words, thinking of how fast this was all going. I got dizzy all of a sudden and shook my head, trying to clear it up. "Hey, listen, I've got to go and make some arrangements, so I'll see you later. At school. Bye."

My head was still spinning as I heard her farewell, and when I hung up the phone, I immediately laid down on the floor with my face buried in my hands. I couldn't take it, how was I going to do this? I felt like I was going to crack; go insane, with all of this pressure. There were so many things I had to deal with, and I felt so overwhelmed. But one thing I knew for certain, and that was that whatever my mother and grandmother's murderer got was too good for him.

My head cleared up somewhat as I thought this, and I sat up, fury coursing through my veins. He wasn't going to get away with this. I stood up then, and headed back to my room. I realized that I was exhausted, and as soon as my head touched my pillow, I was fast asleep. In my dreams I heard two lone gunshots, and then two sickening thudding noises. All I could see was darkness, and then I heard screaming; my screams? Then I woke up, still screaming, halfway off my bed and drenched in a cold sweat. This wasn't going to be easy.


	4. Justice

**Part Four - Justice**

The funeral went more smoothly than I had expected; everyone from the university and many of my mom and grandma's friends came and went throughout the day. I didn't once break down, as so many thought I would. I stayed strong throughout the whole entire funeral, receiving heartfelt apologies and hearing stories about how great my mom and grandma had always been. It was amazing how many people had stories to share; I wasn't aware that they had been so popular.

Once everyone had left, I had been about to start my car ride back home (I had inherited my mom's old BMW), when a distant voice shouted, "Adelynn!" I turned around slowly, bracing myself for another one of my mother's friends and their wonderful stories, when I saw it was none other than Hideki Ryuuga. He was standing a few yards away, slouching as usual, and I walked up slowly to meet him.

The sky was overcast and the wind sent chills throughout my body. 'What a day for a funeral.' I thought. When I reached Hideki, I stood a few feet away and waited for him to begin talking. He didn't, he just stared right at me with that same calculating expression he always wore. After a few seconds of this, I said awkwardly, "Thank you for coming. I'm sure my mom and grandma would've appreciated it." He didn't say anything for a moment, then his expression went from calculating to curious, and the sudden change surprised me.

"I'm sorry about what happened. You must be very upset about all of this," he said in a soft voice, and looked me right in the eyes. I nodded once slowly, noting the purple, bruise-like shadows beneath his eyes. I realized mine must look the same, with not being able to sleep from all the dreams I'd been having. He looked very different today, maybe because instead of his usual ensemble, a white long sleeve shirt and blue jeans, he was wearing a black suit with a white undershirt. The black was a startling contrast to his skin; he looked as if he had never gotten any sun in his life.

"I've heard that they've caught the murderer." He said this carefully, slowly, and his expression was back to calculating again. Why such sudden changes?

"Yes." I answered, "The trial's tomorrow..." I stared at the ground, the neatly mown grass swaying gently in the cold breeze. I shivered again, then added, "He deserves everything he gets. The death penalty is even too good for him."

That last statement came out of nowhere; I hadn't even been thinking it in the first place. 'But,' I thought grimly, 'It's too true.' I looked up again at Hideki, who looked as if something had just been pieced together in his head. Another chill breeze came by, and I realized I was shaking slightly.

"Well... it was nice talking to you. I'd better get going now, though..." I held out my hand and Hideki shook it. I turned around as I heard him say good-bye, and headed to my car. As I opened the door, I looked back at Hideki and saw that he was still standing there, staring after me. My heart gave an involuntary throb as I shook my head and hopped inside of the car. The whole time that the vehicle warmed up, I could see him looking over at me. Even as I rounded the corner by the funeral home, I saw his head following my car's progress.

***********

On the day of the murderer's trial, I showed up early to the court. My stomach had been busy doing somersaults all morning, and as I sat in the courtroom awaiting the murderer's entrance, I suddenly felt sick. As the murderer walked in, I took in his face; bald headed and with a scar running down the left side of his face. The moment I saw him I felt a sickening lurch in my stomach, and as soon as he was seated I ran out into the hall. I realized that I couldn't do it, couldn't sit in there and face that despicable man who had killed my family.

I sat on a nearby bench and took deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. After I could breathe normally again, I decided that I'd wait out in the hallway until the sentence was decided. Though it would most likely take hours, I was willing to sit and wait.

It seemed like hours later that I heard activity going on in the courtroom, though in reality it was only thirty minutes into the trial. At first all I heard was the scraping of many chairs along the tile, but then I heard people shouting and giving out orders all at once. One lady let out a high-pitched shriek that made me jump to my feet, and then suddenly from around the corner came two firemen with a stretcher, and they barged into the courtroom.

I followed them in to witness what chaos ensued.

Almost everyone was standing, and most people were yelling, confused and alarmed, as a man was placed quickly on the stretcher. The two firemen, plus two additional policemen, lifted the stretcher up, and began rushing it towards the exit. As the officers got closer to me, I saw the murderer's frozen shocked face, and limp body on the stretcher.

Someone yelled, "Heart attack!" and another yelled, "Kira! Kira!"

At those words, everyone let out a panicked yelp; someone laughed victoriously and yelled, "God has done it again! All hail Kira!" and everyone rushed to the exit, following the stretcher carrying the dead murderer. People shoved past me and yelled warnings to me as they hurried by, but I stood rooted to the spot, paralyzed with shock and awe.

My mother and grandmother's murderer was now... dead? It took a moment for the thought to sink in, but when it did, I laughed an insane laugh of relief and slight confusion. That cold-hearted murderer... dead! Killed justly and without an actual sentence... and by Kira, no less! Oh yes, that horrible man deserve everything he got. And now, I didn't have to worry about whether or not I'd have to worry about him ever being back out on the streets... killing more innocent people...

Kira, the infamous, glorious Kira, has done away with my biggest problem, my worst enemy.

I felt as if a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders, and I shouted an exalting, triumphant, "Ha!" that reverberated around the now empty courtroom.

'Kira,' I thought, 'I owe you one...'


	5. Emotions

**Part Five: Emotions**

The scene at the trial had left me feeling hopeful, renewed. The fact that Kira had done away with my family's murderer, avenged their deaths for me, had made everything easier; the loss, the grieving. Life altogether seemed to improve. I had never been a supporter of Kira's motives, I had previously viewed them as brutal and inhumane. But now I knew what it was like to have one less bad soul in the world, and believed that everyone should feel this way. What he was doing was wonderful; we could live in a whole new world with no worries or fears.

Now every time a death was reported in the news of some criminal by the hand of Kira, I'd grin triumphantly and silently praise him in my head.

There was one problem with my new-found reverence, however, and that was the fact that my mother and grandmother had blatantly despised Kira for the use of his power. Whenever this thought came up, I'd push it away and think that if they were here now to see what an impact he's made here, how he's helped me, they'd agree with him.

Three days after the trial took place, a Tuesday, I was back at the university, trying to get back on my feet again. Professors and students once again came up to me to express their sympathy towards my loss, and I thanked them all, telling them that I was getting better now. Whenever I was asked about what when on at the trial, I'd tell whoever was asking that that I'm glad that my family's deaths were avenged, and that I supported Kira's motives whole-heartedly. Sometimes in response to this, I would get people outright laughing in my face saying that I was ridiculous, and other people just nodded glumly, pityingly, and walked away.

That week passed, thankfully, and during the next week I only endured about half of the stares and poorly disguised mutterings as I had previously. The pity in the professor's and most student's eyes had mostly left, and I was basically back to being my old self again. I'd walk the halls alone, unless Kimiko happened to come by, and I sat by myself during the breaks for lunch and between classes.

The only person that I noticed watching me now more than ever was Hideki Ryuuga. He'd be sitting somewhere, in class or during his break, all alone or talking to the same one student, Light Yagami. During these times, I'd frequently catch him looking in my direction, observing everything I do. Sometimes I was briefly annoyed about this, but others I would just go back to whatever I'd been doing previously, slightly red and self-conscious.

I didn't know what it was about him that made me feel like this; maybe it was because he didn't seem like the other guys at the university; he wasn't a pig-headed, lecherous snob and he didn't seem to care about what the other students thought about him. He always seemed so gentle, so patient.

We hadn't spoken since the day of the funeral, and every time I passed him I wanted to speak to him, to learn more about him. But whenever I got the chance to, my heart rate sped up and I ended up just walking right past him without a word.

During one of my half-hour breaks between classes, as I sat in the courtyard and passed the time by studying, I noticed Hideki walking across the grass toward where I was sitting. He stopped a few feet away from the table I was at and seemed hesitant to say anything. I looked up at him, took in his pale eyes and tired face, and grinned, letting him know it was alright to sit down. He half-smiled, then sat in that same awkward position he'd used during the exam.

We sat there in silence for a moment, and then Hideki said hesitantly, "How are you? I've been meaning to speak to you, but..." his voice trailed off and I looked up at him. Maybe he felt the same way I did?

"I'm okay, now. I'm still working some things out, but other than that I'm back to being old Adelynn Jae Christoph." He smirked at this, and then his face was serious.

"Are you sure? You've seemed a bit on edge lately..."

I thought for a moment, but I didn't think that I'd been acting any different than normal. Maybe he was watching me more closely than I'd noticed, and at that thought I grinned. Hideki looked slightly put off by my response for a moment, but then seemed to disregard it and asked, "Kira avenged your family's deaths. That must make you feel... different." His eyes bored in to mine, calculating, seeming to want a certain answer.

"I'll be forever grateful to Kira for killing my family's murderer. Now I'll never have to worry about if that man is inflicting the pain he's given me on anyone else. If Kira's methods are going to make everyone else feel this way, then I support him one-hundred percent." I had recited this mini-speech to several other people; but now, saying it to Hideki, for some reason seemed wrong.

I looked up to read his expression, and he had a smirk on his face that said 'I thought so.' But when he spoke, his voice was normal, soothing.

"I'm sure anyone would feel that way, given the position you're in, the pain you're going through. I won't ever forgive your family's murderer for hurting you; and though I believe Kira must be put away, I thank him for helping you feel a bit better, at least."

This was the most I'd ever heard from him, and the firmness in which he said this last statement made me feel suddenly happier than I'd been in weeks. I'd suspected that Hideki wouldn't be a supporter of Kira, and hearing him speak positively of him, even if only for my sake, made my face flush red and I had to look away from his intense gaze.

"Thank you, Hideki. That means a lot to me." I said this in a hushed voice, and then looked back up at him. His untidy black hair hung partly over his eyes as he gazed intently back at me, and it was hard to look away. A bell rang from inside the university and students began spilling out into the courtyard, talking and laughing. I was still looking right at him and him at me. I struggled to regain control of my thoughts and grinned sheepishly.

"Guess I better get to class." I said in an apologetic voice, and he nodded his head. I stood up slowly, suddenly very self-conscious, and gathered my books. I grinned at him, then said, "So I'll talk to you later?" He nodded slowly, now seeming pensive.

"Good-bye, Adelynn." he whispered, and stood up and began walking away. I shook my head wonderingly, confused and exhilarated at this latest exchange. I'd never get used to speaking with him...


	6. Arrest

**Part Six: Arrest**

"Groceries." I mumbled to myself, "That's what I need. Groceries."

I swiped the back of my gloved hand across my sweaty forehead and sighed. I'd been working on the house all morning; sweeping, mopping, vacuuming. After paying for the house's rent for the first time since grandma's and mom's deaths, I'd realized that I wouldn't last too long there with my schoolwork and part-time job. So now I was emptying the house, preparing to move from my old house to an apartment complex a few blocks away from the university. I had already finished most of the house, except for my mom's and grandma's rooms.

That would be the hardest part of leaving this place; leaving behind the memories of my previous life. It was like I was creating a whole new world for myself now; starting over. I knew that going through what few possessions my mom and grandma had would be an emotional scene, so I was willing to put it off by any means possible.

I walked through the small house, checking to make sure the boxes I had hurriedly packed this morning were well sealed. I shuffled past my mom's bedroom, and then my grandma's, and stopped once I got to mine. In here, I had packed everything I owned into two medium-sized boxes and one ratty suitcase.

The desk in the corner was still there; I was planning on taking it apart and leaving it for the trash collectors. I didn't have to leave for two more weeks, but I was adamant on being prepared and making a swift departure. Leaving wouldn't be easy, and I was doing my best to make it less painful.

Heading over to the suitcase, I unzipped a small front pocket and grabbed my wallet, putting it in my left front jean pocket. Walking hurriedly out of my room and past my mom's and grandma's closed doors, I headed into the kitchen to see what I needed to stock up on. The cupboards were only half full, so it was easy to see what was needed.

With the shopping list in the same pocket as my wallet, I headed to my car and to the store.

I walked slowly through each aisle, occasionally stopping to toss an item in the cart. As I walked along, my mind must have been wandering off in many different directions, because I kept turning corners to get to other aisles and running into people, sometimes rather roughly.

After running into one man for the third time and making him fling his cell phone across the aisle, I muttered an embarrassed apology and headed to the self check-out without finishing my list. I then rushed to my car and loaded the groceries in the back, putting the key in the ignition and speeding off towards home.

Halfway through the trip, I noticed a rather expensive black, shiny car following a little bit behind mine. At first I just ignored it, thinking that they were just going the same route as I was by coincidence. After a few more minutes of it, I made a sharp left when I should have made a right. The black car stopped, halfway through its turn to the right, and then sped up to get down the street I was heading.

'That confirms it,' I thought, 'They're following me.'

I sped up just a bit and made a few more unexpected sharp turns, but they kept on recovering from the surprise and following a little farther behind. My heart rate had picked up, and my palms felt sweaty on the steering wheel. I was a few blocks away from my house when I looked around for hidden police-men, then hit the gas pedal and sped off down the road. The car behind me also picked up speed, and I cursed loudly.

As I rounded the last corner, I caught a glimpse of the driver's face, and saw it was the man that I had bumped into a few times at the store. Had he been following me, even back then? I sped up even more and then swung speedily into my driveway, removing the keys as fast as I could and running into my house. I slammed the door shut and locked the deadbolt.

I ran to the side window and saw as the black car got to my house, slowed down dramatically, and then sped off again. I sighed in relief, and then sprinted into the kitchen, grabbing the phone off of the counter just in case I needed to get a hold of someone if the man returned. I then headed cautiously into the living room, jumping slightly at any small noise the house made as I placed one foot in front of the other.

I rounded the corner into the living room and yelped in fright as I saw that there were at least a half a dozen people standing there, helmets over their heads, hiding their faces. One figure had a shotgun that was pointing directly at me, and I stood frozen to the spot.

"W-what is this?" I demanded, and my voice cracked, "Who are you?"

My knees began to tremble and my head began to spin. I took a few steps backwards, but then gasped as I backed into the man who had been following me at the store, who grabbed my wrists and forced them behind my back. I heard a clicking sound as handcuffs were placed around my wrists, and I struggled against the man's surprisingly strong hold. I saw the strangers in helmets clear a path for another figure, who was strangely tall and whose helmet seemed to be weighing his head down, because his shoulders were hunched forward slightly.

A blindfold was placed over my eyes, and I couldn't see as a familiar voice said, "You are being placed under arrest for being a suspect in the Kira case." I took in a surprised breath as I was yanked backward, and then there was a sharp pain on the back of my head as I was knocked out from behind.


	7. Truth

**Part Seven - Truth**

The first thing that I became aware of was a constant ticking noise; a clock, I assumed. Then I felt a dull throbbing on the back of my head, and tried reaching a hand up to see what had happened. But when I attempted this simple movement, my hand wouldn't budge. Maybe it was asleep? I groaned and opened my eyes. What I saw then was just black cloth, and I gasped as I recalled what had happened to me; and remembered that I'd been blindfolded before being knocked out. I struggled to get up, but found that I was being restrained in what felt to be a cold metal chair, and I was unable to move even a little bit.

My heart began to beat frantically and I yelled, "Let me GO!" at the top of my lungs. There was silence except for the ticking of the clock, and then a buzz.

A very oddly distorted voice came over what sounded like an intercom, "I see you're awake, Ms. Christoph. You've been out for quite a while now." I probably would've laughed at the disguised voice, if I weren't so terrified of the predicament I was in.

"Let me OUT!" I shrieked, struggling uselessly against my restraints.

"That wouldn't be the sensible thing to do; not now, at least. First I would like you to answer a few questions." There was a ringing in my ears as silence closed in upon me; then the voice came back, "Do you know why you're here?"

I thought back to earlier on; and images of figures in helmets and the man following me from the store; then the one familiar voice that I couldn't quite put a finger on saying I'm being arrested for being a suspect in the Kira case...

I cleared my throat, then said in a raised voice, "Because of some crackpot idea that _I'm_ Kira!" I let out an incredulous laugh. "Who the Hell do you think you are? L? The famous detective? On what grounds do you base this suspicion?"

Silence greeted me yet again, then: "I believe I _am_ L, and my suspicions are based upon facts and legitimate information."

I was shocked by this response; L, the greatest detective in the world, suspected me to be Kira. L, whose mission was to find and rid of Kira, my new-found idol? 'This has got to be some kind of joke... Me, Kira? If only...' I thought, 'L, you're out of luck.'

The detective began to speak again, "I have already deduced that Kira needs a name and a face to kill. I assume you knew the name of your mother and grandmother's murderer before the trial?" I nodded once slowly in agreement, uncomprehending his logic. "And, according to surveillance tapes of his trial, you ran out of the court room as soon as you glimpsed his face?"

Once again I nodded, letting this reasoning sink in.

"There are no cameras in the hallway, and therefore no sufficient evidence counting for you or against you. However, once the murderer began to show signs of a heart attack and collapsed, you followed the medics into the courtroom. As everyone else cleared out of the room, you stayed there, and later on the tapes show you laughing triumphantly, apparently satisfied with the outcome of the situation. Do you see the basis for suspicion now, Ms. Christoph?"

I contemplated this, then sighed and said, "Yes. I do. But this is insane... that one piece of evidence can't be enough to hold me here, wherever 'here' is..." My voice trailed off.

"You are currently being held in containment at the headquarters for the Kira investigation." He let this connect with my thoughts, then continued, "The week after the trial had taken place, you were reporting back to your university. There, you let it be known that you were supportive of Kira, and that raised a fair amount of questions. Now, for the past week, you haven't been seen there or anywhere else. And the murder rate has seemed to have gone up. This may or may not be a mere coincidence. But for cases such as this, any suspicious activity must be thoroughly investigated."

L's reasoning made complete sense, and I felt a tad smug that I'd be the one to prove him wrong. I smirked and said, "I'm not Kira. I don't have his power. But if I did, I'm certain that I'd do the exact same thing as he is now. Look at how life has been improved! The crime rates have decreased dramatically; there's hardly any reason to be afraid anymore! Kira is justice."

The detective's voice sounded incredulous as the intercom buzzed once again and came back on. "Do you really believe murder is justice? What Kira is doing is evil, he's a killer. Though I believe his intentions were good at first, he has gone too far, and he's not going to stop at anything to obtain his vision of perfection. The people he has murdered could have changed; they were people, such as ourselves. Can you honestly say, given this reasoning, that Kira is justice? That cold-blooded murder is justice?"

The stubborn side of me appeared suddenly, and I didn't want to admit to him that what he said made sense and reminded me somewhat of my mom and grandma used to say... "Yes. I do." I replied, with all the confidence I could muster in my voice.

"Then I believe we must agree to disagree, Ms. Christoph." I said nothing to this, being as stubborn as I am.

The silence seemed to drag on, and I felt as if I were about to drift off again. I kept seeing mysterious figures in dark helmets flashing through my mind; kept replaying the scene where the group parted and a tall figure walked over to me as I was grabbed from behind. I remembered the way his shoulders were hunched forward slightly, and his voice as he told me that I was under arrest; so calm. Gentle, even.

My half-shut eyes snapped open in shock of the epiphany I had just had. I whispered quietly, because I knew he would hear, "Hideki?"

I listened intently as seventy-five ticks of the clock passed, and then I heard the intercom buzz. "Yes."

**--**

**A/N - Alright! So Part Seven is finally up! Sorry this has taken a little while; I've been busy with school and haven't had a lot of time. And whenever I did I procrastinated. So you can blame me on that count. But now that it's up... what do you think? I know, I know, I suck at writing long chapters. But maybe the brevity of the chapter is due to the lack of criticism and comments I've been receiving, or haven't been. Thanks to all of you who have commented, I hope you enjoy this latest chapter. **

**- Sydney**


	8. Release

**Part Eight - Release**

'Hideki is... L?' I guess I'd known, or sensed, rather, that he was something more than the average college student. But the fact that he was L, the infamous L, came as a huge shock. I'd confided directly to him my take on Kira; and now I understood his reactions to my words.

Had he been pretending he was my friend this whole time, just to see if I really was Kira? I gritted my teeth at the thought, betrayal and fury washing over me. I was also- hurt? - at this revelation; I'd begun to trust him, maybe more...

"So if Hideki Ryuga isn't your real name, what is? Or are you too afraid that I'm Kira to tell me?"

Immediately I knew that was a stupid question; I doubt anyone really knew his real name. And I also doubted he'd ever tell me. But I was so angry that I didn't care what I said at the moment. I'd never liked being deceived; it's a character trait that most people carried. And I let my displeasure show during those times of betrayal, sometimes rather severely.

There was no answer from the intercom, and so I tried another tactic, "I already know who you are... so why am I still in here? If I were Kira then I would've killed you as soon as I'd realized who you were."

I once again tried wriggling out of my restraints, but gave up after a few seconds. "Can I at least be let out of this... thing?" The chair was quite uncomfortable, now that I'd woken up and have had time to brood on it.

"We can not release you as of yet, Ms. Christoph, we do not have sufficient evidence pointing towards your innocence. However, once we are reassured that the murders have started again and not by your hand, you will be released from the room you are currently being held in." It annoyed me that he was still using the voice changer, and I scowled darkly.

"'When the murders have started up again?'" I quoted, "You're willing to let more criminals die as I sit here under observation? You really must be desperate for a suspect." I said this mockingly, hoping that it would irritate him.

"As I have stated before, any amount of suspicion is worth investigating." The curt reply aggravated me, and his lack of response to my mockery made me want to throw something. How could he stay so calm?

I had nothing else to say to him. Or, rather, I had quite a lot to say to him, but nothing that would help me get out of my confinement anytime soon... The only thing I could do was sit and wait, and I kept going in and out of consciousness as the hours dragged by.

Upon waking up for what seemed to be the hundredth time, I heard once again the incessant ticking of the second hand circling the clock's face. My irritation had not subsided one bit in the hours of silence; and I sighed, frustrated. 'Why have a god-damned clock in here if I'm not even allowed to see it?' I thought irritably.

I began to count each tick of the clock, just as a way to distract myself from my angered thoughts. 'thirty-seven...thirty-eight...thirty-nine...' Once I had begun to think the number 'forty' in my head, I heard a door being unlocked and shoved open. Two pairs of differing footsteps made their way over to me, and I held my breath. What now?

The door slammed shut with a heavy thud and the footsteps stopped. "Ms. Christoph?" a gruff voice asked, seeing if I was awake.

"What?" I grumbled, trying to mask my anxiety with annoyance. I felt something tugging at the back of my head, and then my blindfold dropped to the floor. I recoiled from the sudden rush of bright light that flooded my eyes, and blinked rapidly. "Are you finally letting me go?" I asked eagerly, not even pretending to be apathetic anymore.

The room I was in was the size of a small bedroom, with a table crammed into the corner by my chair. The walls were a deep blue-gray, and the black tile matched it perfectly. I looked up to see who was in the room with me. One man looked to be in his twenties; with black hair and kind eyes. He looked a bit flustered for some reason, but I didn't care enough to think why. The other man was bigger built, but looked as if he had lost a great deal of weight in a short time. He looked to be very strong and clever, sort of like a typical stereotype for someone on the police force. His hair was black with gray streaks, and his eyes had a tired, wary look to them. I looked back and forth between the two men, trying to be patient as they stood there wordlessly.

Well, yes... and no." The younger man spoke up timidly, and I shot him a deadly glare.

"What do you mean 'yes... and no'?" I spat with as much venom as I could. "I think I've been held here long enough, thanks. As you can clearly see, I am not your precious Kira."

The men glanced sideways at each other, and the one who'd just spoken reached a hand up and rubbed his neck nervously. The man next to him looked slightly sympathetic, but I could tell he was trying very hard to hide it.

"Ryuzaki will explain your situation more thoroughly when we're all together." the older man said, and once he registered the confusion on my face added, "L. Ryuzaki is his alias for this case." I stared dumbly at the man for a moment, and then snorted.

"So what do I get to call him? L-Ryuzaki-Hideki Ryuga-san? Or how about just 'traitor'?" I guess they'd expected my hostility, and they looked at me with patient eyes, as if asking if I was finished yet.

"You can ask him for yourself in a few moment's time. Now please hold still while we release you." The elder man then proceeded to undo the ropes and straps that had me bound to the chair. It took at least five minutes to unfasten them all, and I marveled at how seriously they had taken L's suspicion.

When I was finally free, I quickly stretched, but found that wasn't the best idea. Every one of my muscles was sore, from lack of use and the positions they'd been bound in for the past few days. I attempted to stand up, but stumbled and cursed. The younger man held out a hand to help me up but I refused, too proud and stubborn to be helped. I got back up and limped along pathetically, closely following the middle-aged man in front of me. The younger one was behind me, obviously to prevent me from running away.

I rolled my eyes 'Like I'd be that stupid, with the condition I'm in now.' I thought.

I was led out of the small room and into a hallway, the type I'd expect in some overrated hotel. There were many doors in this hallway, the ones on the left being odd numbers and the ones on the right even numbers. I noted that the room I was held in was room number 264, and when we took a left the numbers began to decrease gradually.

We took a few more turns, and then went through a door which led to a stairwell. From there, we walked downwards until we reached a door labeled, "Floor 3" and went through it. This hallway looked similar to the last, with the same blue-ish tint and dark blue carpeting.

'This place is huge... like a hotel, minus the people. Why is such a place so empty...?' I pondered this until we took a left and approached a set of plain glass doors. Walking through them, we entered a huge lobby, with staircases on either side of the entrance. Walking past those was a huge expanse of dark-blue tiling, and at its border a huge flat-screen computer, with many smaller computers surrounding it. I gawked at them for a moment, and then realized they were all hooked up to surveillance, and the largest screen had a picture of the room I was recently in, but now it was empty.

I was so busy taking in the strange sight that I forgot where I was, and the younger man behind me cleared his throat pointedly.

I snapped back to attention, face reddening slightly. At the desk with the computers was L, sitting in his awkward, semi-primitive position he always used. With him were five other men, all staring at me, some with interest and others with obvious displeasure. I was surprised to see Light Yagami, a student I'd seen many times at the university, among them, and I averted my eyes self consciously. I'd noticed before that he was very good-looking, but I'd never been in such close proximity as to see he was even more attractive close up.

There was something else about him, though, that made me avert my eyes; and that was the way he looked so serious, calculating. It intimidated me, to say the least. I let my eyes take in the crowd in front of me, then let them come to a rest on L, who was staring back at me with a blank face. This should be interesting...

**--**

**A/N: So what do you think Adelynn will have to say to our poor little Ryuzaki? Expect another update soon.**

**Constructive criticism makes me smile!**

**Sorry these are so short; but nobody has complained yet.**

**If you want longer chapters then just ask; I'll try to comply**

**-Sydney**


	9. Beginnings

**Part Nine - Beginnings**

The computers buzzed monotonously as the seven of us stood there, saying nothing. After a few moments of this, I shifted awkwardly, self-conscious and apprehensive. I gazed pointedly at the floor, my anger slowly diminishing. Sure, I was angry enough to punch someone earlier, preferably L, and I'd voiced my opinions on the matter then. But once I got the chance to act upon what I'd said, I got cold feet and didn't really want a confrontation. I talk tough, but most of it was just anger-driven bluffing. I'm not a violent person unless I'm forced to be. So with my eyes still on the floor, I asked, "Am I free to go?"

"No, Ms. Christoph. You haven't been completely cleared of suspicion yet." L stated matter-of-factly. I looked up at him with resentful eyes. He just stared right back, obviously curious to see my reaction.

"Why even let me out then?" I grumbled, sighing. L blinked, once, and then raised a thumb to his lower lip in concentration.

"I thought you didn't want to be held in there anymore?" He paused, then added as an after thought, "We could have you placed back in there, if you'd like."

I glared at him, then hurriedly said, "No, don't put me back in there. I just meant that I don't think going back out into the world under constant surveillance or with one of you would be a very... comfortable experience. My new apartment's really small, and—"

I was caught off by none other than Light Yagami, who sounded as if he were explaining something to a young child.

"I don't think you comprehend Ryuuzaki's point. You're not free of suspicion just yet, and because of that you'll need to be under constant watch. This wouldn't be practical outside this building, as you've stated. Which is why you won't be leaving it." He let this logic run through my head, then turned to L, as if asking him to explain it more thoroughly.

"No!" I said stubbornly. "I will _not_ be staying here. I have a life to live; a job, school... everything! You can't expect me to drop all of that for your stupid investigation!" I held my chin high, unwilling to accept the path I was being forced down.

There was a very uncomfortable silence after that, and it was only broken by L, who swiveled in his chair to grab a cup of tea and six sugar cubes from the desk behind him. He faced back towards me, cup in hand, and dropped the six cubes into it, one by one.

"I'm afraid you have no choice but to comply. Light Yagami and Misa Amane have seemed to adjust to these arrangements quite comfortably. Well, as comfortable as it could be..." He raised his right arm, and my eyes widened as I saw that there was a thick silver handcuff adorning his wrist. It was attached to a chain about six feet long, and at its end Light was also handcuffed. I stared at it for a moment, then had to hold back the laughter bubbling up inside of me.

'Wow,' I thought, 'this guy's insane as could be...' I looked at the others in the room, and they all wore a somber expression, though I knew at least a few of them were about to break out into laughter any moment.

"Misa Amane? The model?" I asked, and then said, "She was on the cover of some magazine I saw the other day... why is she here?"

I avoided asking why L and Light were chained together, but I figured I knew why anyway. Light must be a suspect too... I looked back at him, but he was looking at the ground, his eyes closed. I couldn't see them like earlier, where they looked so secretive, cold. I looked up to L, who was taking a sip of his tea.

"I have reason to believe she is; or was, a second Kira," he stated, and my jaw dropped. A second Kira? Before I could ask anything, he continued, "The other investigators are currently residing here, also."

I looked around once more at them as they were introduced. The middle-aged man who had untied me was Soichiro Yagami, apparently Light's father, and the younger man was Matsuda. As L introduced each of them: another man named Aizawa, one named Mogi, and of course Light Yagami; I gave them an acknowledging nod and received one in return.

There was another uncomfortable silence, and I noted that I was the only one affected by it. Everyone else must be used to these occurrences by now. Shuffling my feet restlessly, I looked back to L. He was still staring intently at me, and when he caught my uncomfortable expression he turned around in his chair, dragging Light along with him. He pressed a button on his desk, and then said, "Watari?" there was a second's pause and L continued, "I believe Ms. Christoph should be shown to her room now; she's had enough for today."

I heard another man reply in the affirmative and I began to protest against being shown anywhere before I got some answers, when L turned back around. "Watari will be here shortly to show you to your room. You're free to walk around the building as you please, but do not leave without one of us accompanying you. Do not attempt to escape, or you will be placed in confinement again."

I glared darkly at him, and he stared back, face quite impassive. He had brought his thumb to his lips again, and was chewing on his nail thoughtfully. I marveled at how he seemed to be so patient all the time, slightly envious of this trait.

I turned around when I heard the entrance to the lobby open and close, and saw an old man with gray hair and kind eyes standing there. I assumed this was Watari and had my thoughts confirmed when L spoke up, "Watari, this is Adelynn Jae Christoph; Ms. Christoph, Watari. I assume you'll be comfortable with your living conditions, but if you have any requests just ask for Watari, he will always be here."

I looked back to the elderly man and smiled slightly. He looked like a fatherly figure, and I instantly knew that he was someone I'd get along with. He smiled back politely, and I began to walk towards him.

"One more thing, Ms. Christoph. Outside of this building you will be using an alias at all times. Seeing as you are clearly of American descent, you will be given an American name. You will now be known as Rosaline Anne Connor anywhere you go in public." I nodded my head once stiffly, and he continued, "As for myself, I will be referred to as Ryuuzaki at all times; at least, during this case. You understand the importance of my alias, I assume?" I rolled my eyes once, then nodded again and continued to walk to Watari.

As soon as I reached him, he grinned kindly, and then turned around and walked out the entrance. I took one last look at the lobby, and they all stood there, seemingly motionless as I walked away.

I followed Watari with a brisk pace as we headed down the same hallways we'd headed down before, but only until we got to the stairwell. We then walked past it and down farther until we reached an elevator. Watari pressed the 'up' button and we stood there, the silence not uncomfortable as it was before. We stepped into the elevator once it arrived, then headed up to the ninth floor.

The hallways were of the same color as the second floor's, and it gave an air of neglect, like it had been rarely used. Did I have this whole floor to myself? This brightened my frustrated mood slightly, although I was still fuming at the injustice of it all. Was it even legal to hold me here? I exhaled sharply, frustrated, and Watari glanced sideways at me.

"Are you alright, Ms. Christoph?" he inquired, and I grinned sheepishly.

"I'm fine...just frustrated, I guess." I looked over to Watari and saw him nod.

"That is understandable. But you'll be okay, soon enough." he said, and I didn't want to be rude and say what was on my mind.

"But I'm being held here against my will... isn't that sort of illegal?"

Watari chuckled, "Yes, I suppose it is, in a way. But seeing as this investigation includes working members of the police force, like Chief Yagami, it is legal for the time being.

"What about my life outside of here? I have school, a job, a friend—" I blushed as I let that slip, "Friends... It's just not fair; why should everything be taken away from me now?" I pouted childishly and crossed my arms across my chest.

Watari didn't answer me for a moment, then said, "I know this will be hard for you, it has been hard for all of us. But you must understand the importance of this case and its outcome. We will all either live or die because of our involvement in this case; live if we take down Kira and die if Kira succeeds." His voice was grave as he said this, and I felt a twinge of regret for being so rude.

We had been walking past numerous doors for the past few moments, and suddenly Watari stopped at door number 372. He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door, swinging it open. I stood hesitantly in the doorway, then looked back at Watari.

"So... what do I do now?" I asked, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"That is up to you, Ms. Christoph. You're free to roam any of the twenty-five floors of this building, and you can also visit the investigators in the lobby if you so please." Watari replied automatically.

I looked up at him and nodded thankfully. "So I guess being a suspect means I can't contribute to the case?"

"Not at all, actually. As you've noticed, Light Yagami is helping with this case. But he is also chained to Ryuzaki, because he is also a suspect at the moment. I believe that the authority to grant you permission to work on this case lies with Ryuzaki-san only. However, he has told me quite a lot about you, and I believe it's only a matter of time until you are let onto this case." He grinned knowingly, and I was momentarily confused.

"How could L, er... Ryuzaki have told you a lot about me? He doesn't know me, not at all."

"I believe he does, Ms. Christoph. He knows more than you think." His eyes held humor in them as he finished this statement; obviously enjoying my reaction as my jaw dropped and my eyes narrowed to slits.

"What is he, some kind of stalker?!" I threw my hands in the air, exasperated. Watari just chuckled. I calmed myself, and then said, "And Watari-san, you can just call me Adelynn, if you'd like. This whole 'Ms. Christoph' thing is too formal for my liking..."

He grinned, and I nodded good-bye as I stepped through the threshold into my new room.

I shut the door gingerly, and stood there, finally alone. I leaned my back against the door and slid down it, suddenly tired and sad and furious all at the same time. Things seemed to be happening so fast lately; from the murder to the trial, and now here, as a Kira suspect. My head was spinning wildly as it always seemed to do when I was overwhelmed, and I pressed the palms of my hand against my forehead.

I waited there for a few moments, settling down, and then I removed my hands. The spinning had stopped, and now I just had a dim headache as a result of the stress. 'Why me?' I thought hopelessly, and lifted my head to observe the room I was to call mine for the first time.

The room was a bit bigger than the average-sized bedroom; though it was bigger than my living room at my old home. Thick white carpet ran throughout it, and in the far left corner was a bed with black comforters and sheets. All along the wall opposite me was a row of glass windows, each of them covered in thick black velvet curtains. There was a desk to my right, and a closet next to that.

I walked over to it and twisted the doorknob. It was a walk-in closet, with my old clothes already hung up in it. I felt a pang of annoyance as I saw this. 'Thought of everything, haven't they?' I thought irritably, and slammed the door.

By the wall opposite my bed was a comfy-looking black loveseat, and a small TV on a table in front of it. I noticed there was no bathroom connected to my room, and figured it must be out in the hallway, somewhere. 'That's an adventure for some other time...' I thought wistfully, 'God knows I'll be spending enough time here.'

I walked over to the windows and pulled open one set of black curtains. Bright light flooded the artificially dimly lit room, and I cringed away from it until my eyes adjusted. I let the light seep in slowly, watching it illuminate my gloomy room and make it livelier. I turned to face my desk and began rummaging through the drawers. There was paper and some writing utensils in the first drawer, and in the second was a brand new sketchbook. I took that out and flipped through the blank pages. This would be useful, I figured. I'd had sketchbooks at my old home, but I hadn't packed them all into my suitcases yet when I was apprehended.

I reached the bottom drawer and took a sharp intake of breath. There were my sketchbooks, along with my private journals, which I had been sure were hidden under my mom's bed, since I figured that was the last place she'd ever look. What right did they have to be going through my mom's room? I was only mildly irritated that they were in my personal stuff; but parading through my mom's was crossing the line. Who did they think they were? Did they have any respect for privacy at all?

I'd gone through too much at this point, and the feelings I had been bottling up inside of me now burst forward as I let out a high-pitched scream of frustration. I kicked and thrashed at everything in my sight, all the while cursing Ryuzaki and everything to Hell. When I'd finished, I was light-headed from over-exertion and sat on the floor with my arms around my knees. Although I was embarrassed that I was so prone to acting childishly, I felt much better.

There was a dull ringing sound in my ears, and I tried to drown it out by singing a song that my mom had taught me when I was six. It was a song she used to always sing or hum to me, whenever I was upset. Thinking of her made my eyes tear up and a lump form in my throat, but I forced them back down and stood up. I couldn't let myself cry, I had to stay strong.

I walked over to the window and looked out at the streets below, not thinking of anything but the way everything seemed to be always moving forward no matter how much you wanted it to stop. A bird flew up to the ledge by my window, and I noticed that the ledge was big enough for someone to be able to step out onto it with some stability. My breath hitched in my throat as I saw that if I were able to sidle along the ledge until I got to the far corner, I could use part of the gutter and slide down the pipes leading to the grass below...

My head told me not to do it, but my heart told me go for it. What did I have to lose? No family, one friend... so, not much. I found the lock to the window and unlatched it, then let it swing open haphazardly. My heart began to beat frantically as I made the decision to go and lifted one foot up and over the window frame.

I began to swing my other leg up and out when I heard L's voice over an intercom, this time not disguised, "Ms. Christoph, I strongly advise you against what you're about to do." I was so startled that I jumped up and hit my head on the top of the window frame, shrieking like a little girl.

"Holy SHIT!" I cursed as I fell backwards into my room, "You have freaking cameras in my room too?!"

"As was stated, constant surveillance, Ms. Christoph."

"It's Adelynn." I grumbled, and then scrambled to get to my feet. Does this mean that they saw the temper tantrum I had had earlier, too? My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "So I literally have no privacy at all anymore?" I asked resentfully, while rubbing my now sore head.

"Not until we are completely convinced of your innocence." He paused. "You will get used to it."

"Doubt it." I said. "How long will it take for me to convince you that I'm not Kira?"

"I can not say; I need solid evidence to help come to that conclusion. In the meantime, you will just have to deal with these living conditions."

"Fantastic." I muttered, and then lay back down on the floor. A few moments passed, and then L's voice came back on,

"And I'd prefer if you didn't try escaping through the windows anymore, it'll arouse suspicion if anyone sees."

"Wouldn't want that," I said sarcastically, "Who cares if I die; so long as no one suspects we're after Kira..."

There was silence then, no reply from L. I opened one eye, as if expecting to see him standing there; but I was as alone as I had always been.

**--**

**A/N: Well, I got this one up quicker than even I expected! Split second decision: I am going to begin writing some things from L's perspective. It's not going to be anything too big; maybe just like an overview with his thoughts and feelings on the case and Adelynn. I'm terrified that I'm going to completely butcher his personality; but I'm going to give it a shot. How am I doing so far? Thanks for the reviews; they make my day! - Sydney**


	10. Contemplation

**Part Ten - Contemplation**

All was quiet in the lobby where the dark-haired man and sleeping university student resided.

The young detective swiveled around in his seat to check the time on the wall clock: 3:47 a.m. He'd figured as much, but he didn't feel tired at all. He had never really needed that much sleep; well, he needed it, but could never get anywhere close to it. Insomnia, some people would say. Or, for the select few who knew him, it was because of the insanely large quantity of sugar and caffeine he'd consume in one day. There was never a time when he didn't have some various sweet at hand.

As the detective began to face back towards the computer screens, he cast a look to his first suspect, Light Yagami. He was fast asleep, slouched in his chair and head lolling off to the side. The arm that was handcuffed was dangling near the floor, the weight of the chain pulling it even farther down. Thinking back to the moment Adelynn had first noticed this arrangement, L grinned from around his thumb. The first thing that registered on her pale face was shock, followed by a very bad attempt at hiding the humor she'd seen in the situation.

Still grinning slightly, he pulled a lollipop out of his pocket and unwrapped it carefully, placing the wrapper neatly on the desk in front of him, next to his laptop. He was three percent sure that Adelynn was Kira. Even though the suspicion was limited, it's still there. And any lead must be taken seriously. No matter what.

This case was L's most complicated yet; and he'd solved many cases before, earning him worldwide recognition. Nobody had ever seen L; at least, before the Kira case. It was safer that way. He had broken his own rules on safety and caution when he'd invited those few members of the police force to work with him: Chief Yagami, Aizawa, Matsuda, Mogi, and the deceased Ukita. He understood the risks, and that was only one indicator of how determined he was to catch Kira and put him away for good.

L was Kira's main target, the only one standing in his way of creating his whole new world. And even riskier yet was the fact that now he had three Kira suspects, and all of them living in the same building as he.

Misa Amane, famous model and actor, Light's girlfriend, and L's second suspect. The evidence all pointed to her; hair and fingerprints of the young model were found on the envelopes recently sent to Sakura TV; the contents of which were tapes regarding to her being 'Kira'. After arresting and observing her for a while, no evidence was shown, except for the fact that she seemed to have undergone a complete personality change while in containment. This puzzled everyone, yet there was no way they could investigate any further. Not legally, at least, and while the few members of the police force stuck with him, he could do nothing but sit and wait.

Light Yagami had been L's number one suspect, with a resounding seven percent certainty. He was invited to work on the case by L himself, figuring that if Light really was Kira, then one slip up and he'd have him. If he wasn't Kira, then he'd still been a large contributor to the case. Either way, L was determined to find the real Kira. And his latest suspect, Adelynn Jae Christoph.

His thoughts on the eighteen year old wavered, going from completely sure of her involvement to none at all in a matter of seconds. This confused and frustrated him, and something in his gut had told him that she was going to be a large part of this case, Kira or not. And his instincts were never wrong. Her reaction to being a suspect was perfectly predictable, hostile and disbelieving. Almost too predictable, really. And the ease with which she knew he was L was unnerving. She seemed to be a very quick thinker, which could help contribute to the case. Or be an indicator of her identity as Kira. Still, she was only second in suspicion to Light, with a four percent difference.

Four percent could mean the world...

Light shifted into a different position in his chair, mumbling sleepily and pulling his chained arm across his chest, which tugged L's chair a bit farther to his right. This snapped L out of his reverie, and he looked to his laptop.

There was a page up of all the criminals Kira had killed, and next to that was a picture of a pentagram drawn on a prisoner's cell wall in blood, with a message underneath it, "L, did you know death gods only eat apples?" Kira seemed to be taunting him with this message, and L could find absolutely no way to decipher it. If it was meant as a way to throw off the case slightly, it sure worked.

But the presence of a Death God, a shinigami... was impossible. And not to mention, it would make Kira even more elusive and powerful, with a god of death at his side... L shook off the thought, not wanting to believe in such terrifying fantasies.

L stared intently, thoughtfully, at the grotesque picture, and thought back to when he'd shown Light this piece of evidence. He'd been able to come to the same conclusion that L himself had, and in a very short amount of time. Back then, before they'd had an actual headquarters for the case, Light had seemed so cold, calculating. He seemed to know just what moves to make, exactly what words to say, to make it seem as if he weren't Kira. While assuaging his father's and other's fears, it only increased L's suspicion, and made him keep an even more watchful eye on him.

But after Light came to him and the others one day, asking to be put in isolation and constant surveillance for as long as it took to convince them he wasn't Kira, he had changed. During the first few days of his imprisonment, the murdering of the criminals stopped altogether, and almost everything pointed in Light's direction. But somewhere in the middle of his confinement, Light cracked. He said something about getting rid of his foolish pride, and then begged relentlessly to be let out, for he wasn't Kira. It was quite unnerving, watching him crumble and plead for his release. That was when the murders started back up again, and his innocence was almost completely proven.

But how strange... it was just after he cracked that the murders started again. Almost as if the power to kill as Kira had lifted from him and had been transferred to someone else...

After Light had been released from his confinement, L, still not entirely convinced of his innocence, had made the request to be chained to Light for as long as it took to prove to him he wasn't Kira.

But now, just like Misa Amane, Light is acting almost completely different; no longer the cold, calculating, menacing young man he'd been before. He didn't seem to be feigning interest in the Kira case anymore, he was bent on capturing Kira, just like L. And there was no more caution in his eyes, no more need to prove himself as innocent. He just was. Although, every now and then, L would see a brief flicker of his old self on his face, see a faint shadow of the monster he'd used to be in his eyes. The effect was chilling, though when L was entirely convinced he saw this, Light would turn to him and he'd be changed again, dedicated whole-heartedly to the case.

When Adelynn had first walked into the lobby this afternoon, L was almost positive that she had seen this shadow on his face; for the shock and intimidation had made her avert her eyes and focus on something, anything, but him. Had she registered this consciously? Or had it been some animal instinct, warning her that he was dangerous, not one to be toyed with? Whatever it was, L was sure she'd noticed something not quite right with Light, and he planned on inquiring her about it in the near future.

L was still staring thoughtfully at his laptop's screen when he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye.

He looked to the many screens he had been using for surveillance, and saw nothing unusual on the largest screen, which was a video of the front of the headquarters. Glancing at the other smaller screens, he noticed nothing out of place, until his dark eyes landed on the monitor showing Adelynn's room. She was lying in the same place that she had been earlier, when he'd spoken to her after her almost-attempted, reckless escape. It had been quite humorous when she'd fallen backwards in shock, cursing loudly and landing rather roughly on her backside. But he hadn't let this show on his face; he just kept on his usual, emotionless mask.

Now, still in the same spot she'd been in so many hours previously, she had fallen asleep, mouth hanging open slightly, and expression peaceful, calm. L had never seen her looking anything but sad, though she tried so hard to hide it, and recently, angry. To put it lightly, she looked... beautiful. L felt something stir within him, but he dismissed it quickly. He wasn't sure how to describe it; so he didn't, figuring it was best left alone. The only thing that mattered to him right now was this case, and getting Kira put away as quickly as possible.

L watched the monitor closely as she unconsciously sensed someone watching her, and saw as she curled up into a fetal position on the floor, arms around her knees that were pulled up to her stomach. She mumbled something unintelligible then, and a flicker of some unpleasant emotion crossed her peacefully sleeping face. L continued to watch her for several more moments, and then noticed she was shivering slightly, cold. It was no wonder, since she had fallen asleep on the cold floor. It could also have something to do with the fact that the air was always unreasonably cool, due to only eight people now living in this twenty-five floor building.

L had a strange impulse to want to go help her; to fetch her a blanket or carry her back to her bed, so as to eliminate her slight discomfort. But even as this emotion came, in seconds it was banished. It wasn't worth having to risk being away from Light, even for the brief amount of time. And it was her own fault, really, for falling asleep there. Why should he care?

'Because she's your responsibility now,' he thought, but felt that wasn't really the reason.

L sat there, watching her sleep for what felt like hours, all the while battling with the urge to go help her. After a few minutes more of this internal struggle, he pressed a button on his desk and said emotionlessly, "Watari?"

There was a pause, then a tired greeting from the elder man.

"Could you fetch some blankets for Ms. Christoph, she seems to have fallen asleep quite uncomfortably on the floor."

He heard an affirmative chuckle, followed by a reassuring 'yes'. L kept his eyes on the sleeping girl until Watari walked into the room and grabbed blanket and pillow off her bed, gently placing the pillow beneath her head and the blanket over her shaking body. He then reluctantly pried his gaze from the monitors and back to his laptop, searching for a way to solve this Kira case as fast as he could.

**--**

**A/N: Did you find this believable? In the least? I was actually able to get this up faster than I thought I would; so I hope you had a good time reading it! Thanks for all the new adds and reviews!**


	11. Fight!

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry this took so long to update, I've been extremely busy lately. And I'm an insane procrastinator. So hopefully, you'll find this worth the wait. This chapter is from the actual anime and manga. I decided to do it because I figured working Adelynn into it would be fun, and it's quite possibly one of my favorite scenes. ^^ Have fun!**

**Part Eleven: Fight!**

I woke up the next morning with a stiff neck and throbbing headache. Opening my eyes slowly, I let them adjust to the morning light pouring in through my still open window. I sat up, yawning hugely and rubbing my eyes. It took me a few minutes of staring into space to realize that I was much more comfortable than I should have been.

I looked down at the pillow and blankets that had been placed on the floor for me while I was sleeping, and I was surprised and confused. Who'd done this? The first image that came to mind was a certain dark-haired detective, but I dismissed it quickly.

'He wouldn't care...' I told myself, and figured it must have been Watari, L's kindly assistant.

Grabbing the blankets and pillow off the floor, I walked slowly to my bed and placed them where they were originally. A gust of chill fall air blew in through my window, and I shivered. It was freezing everywhere in this building, it seemed. I crossed over to the open window and shut it quietly. With it closed, all noise from the outside world ceased and the only thing I could hear was a dull buzzing in my ears. I wanted to go back to sleep, but knew that once I lay down I wouldn't be able to.

I walked into my closet that I'd only glanced at last night, and began looking for something slightly less dingy to wear. I had been wearing the same clothes for four days in a row, seeing as I couldn't have changed while imprisoned. All of my old clothes were in there, which wasn't too much. I grabbed the first things I saw: a black long-sleeve button up shirt and gray slacks. I also grabbed a black jacket, since it was bound to be cold wherever I ventured here.

When I was dressed, I stepped out into the hallway, leaving my bedroom door slightly ajar.

I wandered aimlessly throughout 'my' floor of the building, looking at the empty rooms and finding the bathroom two doors down from my bedroom. My stomach growled hungrily as I roamed around, but I ignored it as best as I could. I figured that finding the kitchen on my own would be my best course of action, for it would give me something to do. I'd been told to ask Watari if I had any questions, but I didn't know how to contact him without confronting the other investigators. It seemed that one way or another, I would have to face them all later. But I was willing to push off the inevitable as long as possible. I could stand to be hungry for a little while; I'd had to so many times when money was sparse back home...

The exploration of my floor of the building took a shorter time than I'd expected, and I found myself walking to the stairwell, next to the elevator. I opted not to take the elevator, because riding in them had been a fear of mine since I was about eight or nine. Whenever I was in one, I'd stand in the corner, holding on tightly to the railing or someone's arm until it stopped, and then I'd sprint out as fast as I could before the doors closed again. It had been a very big accomplishment for me to not freak out when I was with Watari yesterday, but with all that had been going on I figured it was the least of my worries.

I walked down the stairs at a slow pace, only stopping when I got to the seventh floor. Figuring it was as good a place as any to begin searching, I opened the door and walked in. I wasn't surprised to be greeted with the same bland color scheme as the other floors I'd been on, and I sighed. Would every floor be so boring?

The moment I thought this, I saw a door swing open quickly, and a blonde girl around the same age as I stormed out, muttering angrily. She began to walk down the hallway, farther away from me, but then seemed to change her mind and twirled around. When she spotted me, her eyes got wide and she yelped in fright.

"Light!" she squealed, and disappeared back into the room she'd come out of.

I stood in the doorway of the stairwell, wondering if I should stay or run. A few moments later, the blonde girl came back out, dragging a reluctant Light behind her. His one arm was being clung onto very tightly by the girl, and his other arm was suspended slightly in the air, half of it blocked by the doorway he was in.

As I watched the blonde girl point to me and whisper excitedly to Light, his arm lowered, and L poked his head out into the hallway. He looked a bit disgruntled, and slightly wary; I smirked. The blonde girl pulled on Light's arm, dragging him along as she walked cautiously over to me. With Light by her side, she seemed braver, and scrutinized me shamelessly. Up closer, I could tell that she was Misa Amane, the famous model and actor. And apparently Light's girlfriend. I looked over to him, and he grinned apologetically.

"Hello, Adelynn." His voice was kind, not what I'd expected given my analysis of him the day before. There was something different about him; about his eyes... they lacked the cruelty I'd believed I'd seen earlier. Such a sudden, quantifiable change... I nodded my hello, and looked to L. Before he or I had any time to say anything to each other, Misa cut in.

"Light, you know her?" Her high-pitched voice was laced with suspicion, and I looked at her incredulously.

"Yes, Misa, this is Adelynn Jae Christoph. The other suspect Ryuzaki was talking about earlier." Light explained.

Her eyes widened. "Oooh!" She turned to me. "Misa is glad to finally meet you!"

I stared at her, trying to figure out why she was referring to herself in third person. If it was an attempt to be cute, it was failing miserably and coming across as conceited. And quite annoying.

I smiled back at her, being polite, and was about to reply when she said hurriedly, "Light and Misa were just about to begin our date!"

She then pouted her lips childishly, "But it's not a _real _date, since Ryuzaki will be here. Pervert."

She glared at him, and he stared back, quite unabashed. A tense moment passed, and then her face lit up. "Misa has an idea!" she squealed happily, "Since Adelynn-san is now here, we can make this a double date! That way, Ryuuzaki can leave Light and Misa alone!"

Once again I stared at her, bewildered by her arrogance. I looked to L, and he had a strange look upon his face. It was a mix of incredulity and... embarrassment. I blushed unintentionally at the profound statement.

"I'd rather not..." I mumbled, and shuffled my feet. Misa, quite unperturbed by my lack of enthusiasm, finally let go of her vice-like grip on Light's arm, and grabbed my hand.

"Come on! It'll be fun!" I tried pulling away from her, but she had a surprisingly strong hold. 'Poor Light,' I thought empathetically.

Misa began dragging me to the room she'd just been in, not releasing her grip on my hands as I struggled to get away. I looked back to L and Light, and saw as they glanced at each other and Light shrugged, following slowly behind us. We crossed the threshold into her room, and she steered me to a couch. She sat down next to me, and across from us, on another couch, were L and Light. Misa was the only one looking excited, and I pitied her. She looked to each of us and noted our lack of enthusiasm.

We sat there in silence for a while, listening to the TV that had been turned on before I got into the room, and Misa's excitement was slowly replaced with childish resentment. She crossed her arms with a pout on her face, and stared over at Light, who was watching the TV. I looked at the floor, not wanting to be where I was currently. I wondered what the chances were of me getting out of here without Misa tackling me, and figured that I shouldn't even attempt it. I sighed and closed my eyes, leaning my head on the back of the couch.

About ten minutes later, not a word had been spoken, and I could tell that Misa was growing more ticked off each passing minute. L, bored and unimpressed by what was taking place, had Watari bring up a cake and pass out a piece to everyone. I stared at it, hungry but unwilling to eat it in present company. As L dug into his piece of cake, Light and Misa didn't move one bit, just stared at the TV. I could tell that Misa was getting close to snapping, and wasn't surprised when she glared over to L and said, "Man, this has got to be the lamest date I've ever been on." L, who was almost finished with his piece of cake, said,

"No, no, no. Please, just pretend I'm not even here, okay?" He eyed Misa's plate greedily, "By the way... are you going to eat that piece of cake?" I snorted incredulously, but no one heard as Misa replied.

"Cake makes you fat. I'm not gonna eat any."

"Actually, I've found that you don't gain any weight if you burn the calories using your brain."

I resisted the urge to laugh as Misa took in this unintended insult, "Oh, so now you're calling me stupid?" She eyed him angrily, and then grinned mischievously. "Fine, then. I'll give you the piece of cake as long as you agree to leave me and Light alone."

'Good luck with that,' I thought.

"Even if I leave you two alone, I'm still going to be watching on the surveillance cameras, so it wouldn't make any difference." I looked to L, who was unaffected by Misa's attitude.

"You pervert!" she yelled, "Could you stop it with your creepy hobby?!"

"Hey, you can call me whatever you like," he said, while standing up and grabbing her slice of cake. Misa was silently fuming for a moment, and then smirked devilishly.

"Okay, then, I'll just close the curtains and turn off the lights."

"We have infrared cameras in here, as well." He began to eat the cake, oblivious to the incredulous stares he was getting from all three of us. Light turned to him.

"What's wrong with you? I thought moving in here was supposed to help us catch Kira, but since we've been here you don't seem all that motivated to me."

"Not motivated?" L pondered this for a moment, "You're right. Actually, I'm depressed."

I looked to the detective, who was staring at the floor. Depressed?

Light asked the question running through my head, "Depressed? What for?"

Still looking to the floor, he answered, "Well... truthfully, all this time, I though you were Kira, and the entire case had hinted at that fact. I guess I just can't get past the fact that my deduction was wrong." He was silent and pensive for a moment. "Although, having said that, I'm still suspicious of you. That's why we're wearing these."

He indicated the chain on his arm. Misa eyed it with disdain as L continued. "And we also know that Kira can control people's actions, which means it's highly likely that Kira was controlling your actions so that I would suspect you. If I suspect that both you and Misa were being controlled by him, then everything we've observed so far makes a lot more sense to me."

I watched as his face showed his frustration, then returned back to normal. I wondered where I fit into all of this, if he was leaving me out of it because he suspected me less than them. I felt a twinge of irritation as I thought, 'Surely I would've done a better job as Kira than this airhead...' and looked over to Misa, who was still glaring resentfully at L.

"If that's what you think, Misa and I were both Kira during the time that we were being controlled, right?" Light asked, and L nodded thoughtfully.

"Yes. I don't think I could've been wrong about that. The two of you were Kira. If what I'm thinking is correct, when your confinement began, you were Kira. I don't believe it's coincidence that while you were both imprisoned that the killing had stopped. Until then, everything pointed to you being Kira. But after two weeks, criminals actually began dying again." L lifted his head thoughtfully, and stared at the ceiling. "Based on that evidence, I can only conclude that Kira's power passes between people."

All three of us looked to him, taking in what he was saying.

"That's an interesting idea," Light began, "But if it's true, then it would be nearly impossible for us to catch Kira."

"Yes... That's why I'm overwhelmed." L shut his eyes for a moment, and then opened them slowly, "Even if we catch someone under his control, they'll likely lose their powers and any memory of their crimes. So in the end, pursuing them becomes futile." I was stunned. Was this really L, the best detective in the world?

Light looked at him angrily, "But at this point, we have no way of knowing if that's the case. So cheer up, would ya?"

L looked as if he was seriously considering this request, but then muttered, "Cheer up? No, I'm sorry. I can't. It's probably better if I just stop trying so hard. By chasing Kira so desperately, we're just putting our lives at risk for nothing." He glanced swiftly at each of us and sighed. "Yes... it's just a waste of time."

At this, Light stood up. His expression was calm, decided, as he walked up next to L. "Ryuzaki..." he said softly. L looked up at him, as Light pulled back his arm and swung it back, punching L right in the face. Misa screamed and jumped up, and my jaw dropped. L went flying backwards, pulling Light along with him.

L was kneeling on the floor, his face deadly calm as he said, "You know, that really hurt." I laughed hysterically at his lack of appropriate response, and because Light had done what I'd been wanting to do for days.

Both L and Light ignored my antics and Light said, "Now that's enough! You don't feel like doing anything, just because your genius deduction was wrong? Because I'm not Kira?"

"Fine, perhaps I phrased that the wrong way. I meant it was pointless for us to make a move, so we shouldn't even bother." He replied evenly.

"If we won't chase Kira, then he'll never be caught!" Light yelled. "Is that what you want? If you're just gonna give up, then what was the use of involving all of those innocent people? More importantly, what was the point of putting Misa and me behind bars?" Light stood back up, pulling L up roughly by the collar.

L's expression was hidden behind his messy black hair as he said, "I understand. But still, whatever the reason..." He brought his left leg up and kicked Light square in the jaw. "An eye for an eye my friend."

The blow sent them both reeling backwards onto tthe couch. It tipped over from the force of the impact, and Misa squealed, worrying over Light. They both looked furiously at each other, and L continued, "It's not that my deduction was wrong. The fact is, I can say that Light Yagami is Kira and Misa Amane is the second Kira. But it won't be enough to solve the case. And that's why I'm a little depressed. Is that so unreasonable?"

Light got to his feet, wiping some blood off of his mouth. "Yes. Yes, it is. Besides, you should hear yourself. It's as if you won't be satisfied unless I _am _Kira!" My raucous laughter still hadn't died down, and Misa glared at me. I ignored her, with tears streaming down my face, and looked to L, who was still kneeling next to the overturned couch.

"I won't be satisfied unless you're Kira? Well, there may be some truth to that." He stood up defiantly. "In fact, now that you mention it, you're right. I think I wanted you to be Kira."

Light once again raised his fist and punched L's face, whose eyes narrowed even further than previously, "As I said before, an eye for an eye. I'm stronger than I look, you know." He swung his foot up and connected it with Light's jaw, and they both went flying backwards again.

They scrambled to get to their feet, and then lunged, grabbing the other's shirt by the collar and glaring wildly at each other. They were about to go at it again when the phone rang, and they were both brought back to normal again. I had calmed down by then, and was only silently giggling as Light and L released each other.

Crossing over to the phone, L picked it up using his thumb and middle finger, holding it awkwardly to his ear. "Yes?" I could only hear the excited buzz of the caller's voice as Misa crossed over to the slightly beat-up Light. "Oh." L replied, "I see." He hung up the phone roughly, just dropping it onto the receiver.

Light, trying valiantly to bring the tense atmosphere back to normal, asked, "What was that?"

L's expression was back to impassive, and you could almost believe there had been no fight, if the couch wasn't still flipped over. "Matsuda's acting stupid again." He replied, and Light nodded.

"Well, it _is_ his specialty."

I marveled at how quickly the mood of the room had changed. Everyone was standing up, and L and Light weren't looking at each other.  
"I should probably be getting back to the lobby, now..." L said quietly, and began walking away. Light followed after him, since he had no choice, and Misa stomped her foot in frustration at not getting her date. She followed them out of the room, and I was left there, all alone.

I glanced around, and shrugged. I noted, not for the first time, that I was in a completely insane situation, and then I walked out of the room, not sure of whether or not to follow. Deciding it was best not to bother them; I walked over to the stairwell and to another floor, and continued my exploration there.


	12. Reconciliation

**Part Twelve - Reconciliation**

It had been two days since I had witnessed the fight between Light and L. Since then, I haven't been able to sleep. I had gotten a few hours in, but every time I tried to fall asleep I couldn't, just lied awake and stared at the ceiling. This had given me more time to explore the building, but after greeting several more empty rooms, I just gave up and went back to my bedroom. I hadn't been able to find the kitchen yet, either, and knew that sooner or later I'd have to go to the lobby and ask for Watari.

I brought a chair over to my window and sat down, a brand new sketchbook in my lap. The sky was overcast and gray, not far from my current mood. It had only been six days since I was arrested and brought to headquarters, but it felt like much longer. Sighing, I flipped to the first page of my sketchbook and began to draw a rose. With the lack of sleep, it was hard to concentrate, and as I drew my mind slipped into an exhausted trance. I finished the outline of the rose and began to absentmindedly shade the petals.

As I drew closer to finishing my sketch, there was a soft knock upon the door. I looked over to it, startled, and then went to open it. Misa Amane stood in the doorway smiling, and said, "Hello, Adelynn-chan! Can I come in?" I nodded, unsure of what to expect from this arrogant model. She crossed to the couch and sat down, observing the room swiftly, obviously unimpressed by the bare walls and lack of mess. I sat back in my chair by the window, and looked to her. Her gaze shifted from the open door of my closet to me, and she grinned widely.

"This is a cute room." she commented, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"Uh, thanks." I saw as she glanced at the sketchbook I'd dropped on the floor, then got up and walked over to it.

"Wow!" She bent over and picked it up. "Did you draw this?" I could tell her interest was feigned, and I nodded my head curtly. Setting it back down, she looked to me.

"The other day, when we first met, we didn't seem to get off on the right foot. So... Misa just wanted to come and get to know you better. Since we're the only girls here..."

"Yeah. I guess." I half-smiled at her, and wondered what I was getting myself into, agreeing with this airhead.

Misa grinned widely and nodded her head eagerly. "Light said that your family's murders were avenged by Kira. Misa's were, too." Instead of looking sad or thoughtful as she should have, there was a curious look in her eyes. I hadn't known that Misa's parents were killed... we were more alike than I'd wanted to believe. And Kira had killed her family's murderer, too? How strange...

"Adelynn-chan, do you support Kira too?" This question I had expected her to ask, and I shrugged half-heartedly.

"I used to... and I guess I might still. But that's not going to be helpful under these current circumstances..." I pulled my legs up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them.

Even though I didn't want to admit it, I had begun to see things differently. I didn't really support either side of the case, not anymore. After being arrested and interrogated, I'd begun to feel resentment toward Kira; maybe I wouldn't be here, if he hadn't have killed that dreadful man. I shook my head, the many sides of the conflict battling in my head. My thoughts were so convoluted that I couldn't think clearly.

Misa didn't seem to be paying attention to me anymore; now I watched as she abandoned her attempt at conversation and crossed to my closet. She disappeared inside of it, and I could hear the scrape of the hangers as she rummaged through my clothes. I heard a loud sigh, and then Misa poked her head out of the door, "Misa really needs to take you shopping..."

She stepped out and scrutinized my figure. "Hmm... Misa should have some things that'd fit you for now..." I gaped at her. Had she really just insulted my wardrobe?

I was about to say something, but she cut me off, "I know! Let's go to the lobby; we can ask Ryuzaki if we can go! And Light could come with us..." She said his name dreamily, and I inwardly gagged. Poor girl... she obviously had no clue how pathetic she sounded.

Before I could protest, she grabbed my left arm and dragged me up and out of my room, slamming it shut behind us. Her strong grip was bound to leave bruises on my upper arm as she led me through the halls at a quick pace. She only stopped when we got to the elevator, and pressed the button to go down. I eyed the door apprehensively.

"Er... Misa?" I mumbled, "Can we take the stairs?" She noticed the odd look on my face and nodded, taking my arm again and leading me to the stairwell.

We reached the lobby quickly enough, and she released my arm as we walked to the middle of the room. I stood there, not sure of what to do, and Misa crossed to Light and sat on his lap. A shocked and embarrassed look crossed his face, and I smirked. I took notice of the others then; Aizawa, who looked contemplative and silently livid, and Matsuda and Chief Yagami, looking nervous and wary. L was sitting in his chair by the desk, his back to everyone.

The tension in the air was palpable, and I had the impulse to cringe away from the intensity of Aizawa's gaze. I crossed over to a comfy black couch and sat cross-legged on it, not saying a word. Aizawa was glaring furiously at the back of L's head, and I wondered what I had missed.

Matsuda rubbed the back of his neck nervously, a habit of his, and said, "See, Aizawa? Ryuzaki has all of us taken care of... we're all set financially for life, in case of death or unemployment. You know how he is; he doesn't like saying those sorts of things unless he has to. So there's no need to be mad!"

Matsuda looked eagerly to Aizawa, who now looked even angrier than before. What had Matsuda said? We were all taken care of, financially and otherwise, for life? I looked to L, wondering if he really would have done something so... generous. And for all of us? Including me? I then looked back to Aizawa, who was at the point of breaking.

"No, I quit! I've just clearly realized that I hate Ryuzaki, his methods, all of it!" He growled furiously. I was shocked. Quit? What would make him do such a thing; when he's risked his life for so long on this case...?

L was silent as he stirred the tea in front of him with a spoon. He then said matter-of-factly, "You know, Aizawa-san, I like people that are like you." He hadn't moved an inch since I had entered, and I stared at him curiously. I envied his ability to remain so calm, not for the first time.

Aizawa yelled in frustration, "That's another thing I hate! The fact that you can say that with such a straight face!" He turned on his heel, "I'm out of here!" And began his exit to the door.

So quietly that I wasn't sure if I'd actually heard him, L said, "Thanks for all your hard work."

Everyone was staring solemnly towards L, and they all looked a bit mad. Light threw L a disgusted look, but seemed to figure that an argument wouldn't do any of them any good. Misa blinked, confused, and asked, "Why did Aizawa-san leave?"

There was no answer, and then Light said, "Ryuzaki has requested that since the police force is no longer cooperating with us, that they all either leave this case or leave the police. Aizawa decided to leave the case." I could tell that he had left out a part of the story, but I didn't want to draw attention to myself and ask him.

Misa seemed thoroughly uninterested by what had just happened, and that Light wasn't paying any attention to her. She seemed to have forgotten why we had come down here in the first place. Getting up quietly, she crossed to a set of stairs by the entrance and walked away, an irritated look on her face.

I suddenly felt very self-conscious and out of place, without Misa as my excuse to be there. I leaned as far back as I could into the couch, trying to disappear into it. Nobody seemed to take notice of me, and as my mind wandered, I drifted to sleep.

***********

I sat bolt upright, panicking as I didn't recognize where I was. But then my eyes adjusted to the darkness and I remembered that I was in the lobby. Somebody had placed a thick blue blanket over me while I was sleeping, and I grinned. So, they had noticed me. The big lights in the lobby had been turned off, and the only light came from the computer surveillance screens. Matsuda and Chief Yagami had apparently left; the only ones now in the lobby were a half-asleep Light and L. The latter didn't look tired at all, he was just staring intently at his laptop's screen. It seemed that neither of them had noticed my abrupt awakening.

I looked to the clock on the wall, and it read 2:17. I'd been asleep for six hours; the most sleep I'd gotten in two days. I stood up silently and tiptoed to the exit. Now that I'd finally been able to fall asleep for longer than two hours, I began to feel the fatigue ten times stronger than before. I had a hard time keeping my eyes open as I navigated the desolate hallways, and then up the staircase to the ninth floor.

Once I reached my door, I yanked on the handle, but it didn't budge. I checked the pockets of my worn black jeans, and realized that I'd left the key in my room, when Misa had dragged me out to the lobby.

'Damn it!' I thought, 'Why didn't I ask for a way to reach Watari while I was down there?!' I stood there for a while, and contemplated going back downstairs or just sleeping outside my door. After a while, I convinced myself to get over my stubborn, shy attitude and go down to the lobby. I walked back the way I came, at a brisk pace to try and wake myself up.

The lobby was the same as I had left it, but now Light and L were gone. The computers were all still up and running, including L's laptop, and there was a half-finished plate of cake lying beside it. I looked around desperately for a button to get to Watari, but gave up and trudged out of the lobby to find the two men. I searched the whole first floor, then the second, but they were nowhere to be found.

As I searched the third floor, I let my mind wander and my feet carry me absentmindedly through the quiet hallways. I turned the corner to the stairwell, and gasped as I bumped into something and went tumbling backwards. Something hot splashed on my shirt, and I yelped in pain as it seeped through and scorched my skin.

I hit the ground with a thud, and then the wind was knocked out of my lungs as something heavy landed on top of me. I kicked and scratched at whatever was holding me down, and was stopped when strong hands grabbed my wrists and pinned them to the floor. I stopped thrashing around and let out a surprised, "Oh!" as I recognized L as the one on top of me. I stared up at him, confused and a bit more than embarrassed. He was looking down at me, curious, and a slight red-ish tint to his normally pale skin.

We were both breathing a bit more ragged than usual, from the surprise and brief struggle. I would have called it provocative, had it been any other scenario. L pried his gaze from mine, and got off of me.

We both stood up awkwardly and I took my first notice of Light, who was also standing, a few feet away from us. At my feet lay a broken tea cup, the contents of which were now staining my shirt. It was cooled now, as a result of the cold air of the building, and I shivered involuntarily.

L took notice of this and said softly, "Are you alright, Adelynn? I apologize for running into you; are you hurt?"

I shook my head, "No, I'm fine. I came looking for you and Light in the lobby, but you weren't there. So I came searching for you." I grinned sheepishly, "I kind of locked myself out of my room..."

He nodded his head thoughtfully, "We can find a spare key to your room." I nodded back, and then crossed my arms for warmth as I shivered again. "But first... we better get you out of those clothes."

"I-excuse me?" I replied incredulously, blushing furiously.

"Aren't you cold?" He answered innocently, and blinked.

"Oh... yes." I mentally kicked myself, "Thanks."

He nodded and said, "My room's just down this hallway..."

L walked forward and I followed close behind, feeling awkward and embarrassed. A thought crossed my mind, and I asked, "Where is the kitchen in this place? I've been looking for one ever since I got here, but haven't had any luck." He looked to me and I saw a trace of... concern?- in his eyes.

"You haven't eaten in six days?" He looked angry for some reason, then continued, "The kitchen's on this floor, second door from the stairwell. I'll take you there when we're finished here..."

We reached a closed door and he pulled a key out of his pocket, unlocking the door and walking in. Light trailed wordlessly behind him, and I wondered if he was still angry about the whole thing with Aizawa. He didn't look angry, but his silence hinted at it.

"Adelynn?" I walked through the threshold into his room, which was roughly the size of mine. It looked as if it had hardly been lived in, since he spent most of his time in the lobby. He held out a white long-sleeve shirt for me, and I nodded thankfully. Light and L exited the room, and I changed into it. It was a bit too big for me, and the sleeves went way past my hands, but it was otherwise comfortable. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and noted how much I looked like L, and giggled girlishly. I covered my mouth quickly, shocked, and dashed out of the room.

I walked up to L and nodded, and he began walking forward, leading me to the kitchen. He wouldn't meet my gaze for some reason, so I followed along behind him silently. I was led into a large kitchen, about twice the size of my room and loaded with various expensive cooking supplies. There was a table in the middle of the room, and I crossed over to it, and sat down. L and Light did the same , and we sat in silence for quite some time.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" L inquired, and I nodded my head.

"Yes... but first, can I ask you something?" I looked to him and he nodded. I took a deep breath, "How much do you really suspect me of being Kira? And how can I prove to you that I'm not?" I knew I wouldn't get an exact reply to either of thse questions, and wasn't surprised when I received an 'I already went over this' face from L.

He hesitated a moment, and then said patiently, "There's no way you personally can convince me you're not Kira; there's only one certain way. And that is for us to find the real Kira. By my reasoning, you are Kira with a three percent certainty." My jaw dropped. Three percent? And I was still being held here? As if in answer to my thoughts, he said, "And as I've said before, any suspicion is taken seriously."

I could feel the fatigue coming back to me as I struggled to reign in all of the thoughts buzzing in my head. I decided not to protest against this reasoning; I knew I wasn't going to get out of here anytime soon; it's best not to make my sentence longer. I sighed, irritated, and blew my bangs out of my face.

"If I can't prove to you that I'm not Kira... then what can I do? Is there any way that I could help catch Kira?" I smirked as an idea popped into my head, "Can I help you with this case?" I asked, trying to sound genuinely eager.

L eyed me speculatively, "But you are a supporter of Kira. Don't you think that would make you a bit biased? You wouldn't want to help capture Kira, with that mindset."

I looked down at the table and at my folded hands, refusing to make eye contact with him as I said, "I used to... I guess. But now, with you've said about justice and actually being a suspect, I've seen things differently. I dunno. I've... changed." I hadn't wanted to admit this; and left out that it might have been more than just his logic that had convinced me. Hoping he believed me, I glanced back up to him. He had a calculating look in his eyes as he stared back at me.

"I don't see why you wouldn't be able to help with this case," he said finally, "But that will not limit my suspicion of you at all." There was a certain reluctance in his eyes as he said this.

'Reluctant... does he not trust me? I'd be more helpful on this case than Misa would...' I thought.

I masked my annoyance on my face, smiling slightly, "I guess I'm just going to have to persuade you, in time." I yawned loudly then, and stared off to a corner of the room.

There was silence then, and after a few moments L and Light stood up.

"Then I believe we will be seeing you more often, Adelynn?" L asked, and I nodded. "If you ever needed to contact Watari, just come down to the lobby and ask for him." He turned and began walking away.

"Ryuzaki?" I asked, "What about the key to my room?" He stopped and thought for a moment.

"I will have Watari bring it up to you shortly. I assume you'll still be here in ten minutes?"

"Yes." My stomach growled hungrily just then, "Thank you."

"Good night, Adelynn." With that, he and Light exited the room, leaving me to my confused thoughts.

**--**

**A/N- Mwahaha. Well, I guess that sort of lessens the bitterness she feels towards L. Tell me what you think I could improve on, and what your opinion is on the way this story is headed.**

**Next up: Yotsuba and Matsuda. Uh-oh. I'll update soon!**


	13. Waiting

**Part Thirteen - Waiting**

I never thought that being a detective could be so... dull. Whenever I used to think of the life of a detective, I'd think of fast-paced, action-packed crime solving. But the Kira investigation, the most important case in the world at the moment, was utterly boring. Weeks had passed and nothing had been happening. My random and quite frequent trips to the lobby never brought me new information; it was as if the whole investigation had paused for us. Of course, the murders were still going on, but we could do nothing about it unless we got some new evidence. The only entertaining thing, really, was Misa; though I hated to admit it. I wouldn't say that her and I are close friends now, but we didn't despise each other. We got along most of the time, at least.

As of late, Misa has taken to dressing me in her clothes; like a very reluctant human Barbie doll. Whenever I insisted not modeling her own clothes for her, she'd whine and say that she needed to see them on me before she wore them to a photo shoot, or some audition. We'd bicker back and forth for a while, but she'd always win and I'd end up wearing some embarrassingly revealing outfit. She wore the same dark style of clothing that I did, and for that I was grateful. She'd told me that I could borrow her clothes anytime I wanted, since mine were apparently too dingy and old. Everything she owned showed a bit too much skin, in my opinion. I wore clothes for comfort, not for looks.

Misa was also still head over heels in love with Light, who still didn't seem that interested in her. It was pathetic, really. I dropped hints here and there that there would be better guys out there for her, but she was too arrogant and naive to pick them up. Once, she'd taken one of my hints the wrong way and had tried setting me up with a guy from the movie she was currently filming. I'd vehemently refused, slightly shocked and very much angry. I'd told Misa to mind her own business, but she still kept trying every now and then...

But except for Misa, life at headquarters seemed almost as boring as my life before-hand. Matsuda, otherwise known as 'Matsui', Misa's manager, had taken quite a liking to me. I didn't mind; he was a really nice guy, even if he did mess up thing all the time. He's been almost as entertaining as Misa at times, when he says something stupid and receives a 'you idiot' look from L. I got along with him pretty well.

As I sat on one of the big black couches in the lobby, I nibbled on the eraser of my pencil and hummed to myself contentedly. Matsuda and Misa had gone out, so I was stuck by myself, passing the time by sketching. They'd probably be back in a few hours, as long as Misa didn't insist on calling Light every couple of minutes. Chief Yagami was standing behind his son at the computer, looking at profiles of various Yotsuba members. L was doing the same, hunched forward and shaggy black hair partially covering his eyes. Yotsuba, a large corporation, had been under a lot of suspicion lately. Kira's murders have all been beneficial money-wise to Yotsuba for quite some time now, and these patterns have called for investigation. There was nothing they could do, though, because there was no evidence warranting a full-blown investigation of the company. So we all have to sit and wait; another thing I didn't expect of a famous detective's life.

It was a quarter past seven when Watari buzzed in on L's laptop, an ornate 'W' showing up on the screen. "Ryuzaki." His voice was business-like; not the way he'd spoken to me on my first day here at headquarters.

L dropped the sugar cubes he had been stacking and said, "What is it?"

"There is a message from a detective named Eraldo L. Coil. It says, 'I want to know who L is.'"

There was a tense moment of silence, and everyone, including me, walked up behind L to better hear what the man was saying. I had no clue who Eraldo Coil was, but knew that anyone wanting to know L's identity was bad news. I looked to Chief Yagami curiously, who was standing right next to me behind L's chair.

"Eraldo Coil is one of the detectives who is helping L." He explained, "Who the Hell sent that message?"

Watari paused for a moment, then replied, "The message came from Kida Masahiko, head of a department of the Yotsuba group."

"I knew it! So it is Yotsuba!" said Chief Yagami, who had a knowledgeable smirk on his face.

"Such a big company will surely try to get L's name and then kill him." Light thought aloud, and I glanced worriedly to the detective. He didn't seem the least bit concerned, even when discussing the topic of his life or death. He was staring at the laptop, deep in thought.

"This is bad..." I said nervously, "We need to protect him!" It was the first time that I'd ever said anything pertaining to the case, and I felt completely idiotic that I was stating the obvious. 'I'm turning into Matsuda...' I thought.

L grinned knowingly and once again began stacking the sugar cubes in front of him. "It's fine, the detective known as Eraldo Coil is none other than me." There was a dramatic change of atmosphere then, and everyone visibly relaxed. "Now the three biggest detectives in the world: L, Coil, and Danuve, are all me. So anyone who tries to find me using them will have a problem, since I will see who hired me."

Light turned to him and grinned, "As expected of Ryuuzaki..."

***********

"Alright. This way we can get them. Leave it to us." Aiber, a criminal from the underworld, said.

Everyone was genuinely surprised when this man and a woman named Wedy had walked into the building without going past security or setting off the alarms. Apparently L had hired them to help us break through Yotsuba security, and to set up surveillance cameras and microphones in their meeting room. It seemed that L had gotten them out of a tight spot sometime previously, and they owed him a favor. Chief Yagami had been nervous about this at first, but then had disregarded it since it would benefit the case.

"Okay, then I should tap into the cameras and other systems of Yotsuba's main building." said Wedy. For the past half an hour, the investigators had been going through various plans, and had just now come up with one to spy on the Yotsuba meetings.

"Yes," L said from around his thumb, "Our enemy is the Yotsuba group, but also Kira. First we need to find out who is Kira and find the people who are helping him." He looked at the floor thoughtfully, "We can't ever let them find out that we're onto them. If they do, the chance that we find Kira is gone. Don't make a move outside of our plan, for now..."

I had moved from my spot on the couch to a chair next to L's by the large desk, for a better place to listen to the plan. I hadn't said a word the entire time, half of the things the criminals saying going over my head. After the plan was formulated, Wedy and Aiber had exited the room quietly, off to do their work.

I spun around a few times in my chair, feeling completely useless. Was this the way it was always going to be? I sighed and blew my bangs out of my face, picking up the sketchbook lying on the desk in front of me. I flipped through the pages, glancing critically at the few sketches I'd managed to complete. I slouched down in my seat, resting my head on the back and closing my eyes. No one was speaking, and the buzzing of the computers was gently lulling me to sleep.

"Ryuzaki." I jumped about a mile in the air and yelped in surprise when Watari's urgent voice once again came over L's laptop. L peered over at me, the ghost of a smile upon his face. He turned back to his laptop,

"What is it, Watari?"

"Matsuda has sent out a distress signal."

I sat up quickly when I heard this and listened intently. L, on the other hand, looked quite unfazed. "From where?"

"Well, you see, it appears to be coming from Yotsuba's main office."

Everyone was immediately at attention, staring intently at the laptop's screen. 'Matsuda...' I thought worriedly.

L had an irritated expression on his face as he said, "Forget about the plan we just made, we need to re-think this. Matsuda, you idiot."

I glared at him angrily, but he didn't seem to notice. Then I said, "Ryuzaki... what are we going to do? Matsuda's in trouble. Misa could be, too."

Light nodded in agreement, and L sighed, picking up the phone on the desk in front of us.

We all stared at him curiously as he picked up the phone using his thumb and index finger and held it awkwardly to his ear. The phone wasn't on speaker, but you could clearly hear Matsuda's nervous, high-pitched voice when he answered, "Hello?"

"Hey Matsu. It's me, Asahi. It's been a long time." L's voice was completely different, and ten times more friendly than when he usually spoke to Matsuda. I grinned at the sudden contrast, now aware of what L was doing. "It doesn't seem that you're at home; is it okay?"

"Yeah." Matsuda answered nervously.

"Are you alone?"

"Yeah, I'm alone. What is it?"

L covered the bottom of the phone and said to us, "He is alone; that means Misa's not with him." I felt relieved at this, but still apprehensive about Matsuda. "Wanna go out?" He said to Matsuda.

"I'm sorry, I can't today..." Matsuda replied after a moment.

"Why not? Are you having financial issues?"

"Aah, you know about my money problems better than I do!" Matsuda was playing along quite well; I was glad that he didn't fumble his words as he usually did under pressure.

L once again covered the phone and said to us, "Matsuda seems to be in trouble..." He said to Matsuda, "I see. Well, then, maybe some other time. Bye." He hung up the phone quietly, and we all waited apprehensively to hear what we were going to do next.

Light had picked up his cell phone now, and dialed Misa's number hurriedly.

"It's no good. It seems she's still working, so her phone's turned off."

"What are we going to do, Ryuzaki? We can't just wait here, Matsuda's in trouble!" I said angrily, because the detective hadn't seemed too concerned about it.

"If Matsuda dies now, then we'd have proof against Yotsuba. So we should wait, for now..." He finished quietly, staring at his laptop. I gaped at him. What the hell was he thinking?

***********

It seemed like an eternity later that Misa called, finished with her filming for the day. Light picked up his phone hurriedly and put it on speaker phone for us all to hear.

"Misa!" He said, relieved. I sighed in relief, too.

"Light! I was working, sorry, but I'm done now!" She replied happily, and I was glad to hear that she sounded alright.

"Misa," Light said, "Matsuda-san isn't there with you, right?"

Misa squealed happily, "No, not right now. He left about halfway through filming today... But then I checked my messages, and guess what?"

She paused dramatically, "Matsuda-san has gotten me into a commercial for Yotsuba! Misa thought he was just being mean when he left, but he was promoting me!"

Everyone in the lobby glanced to L, seeming nervous. Misa continued, "So, sorry, but Misa-Misa's going to be a bit late tonight. I'm supposed to head to Yotsuba and meet up with Matsuda."

I shifted in my seat and was about to say something to stop Misa, but L help up a hand to silence me, "Listen, this may be our only chance to save Matsuda," he said urgently and turned to Light, "She listens to you, Light, so please let her do it."

Light looked reluctant, but then sighed, "Okay, Misa. But... be careful." He snapped the cell phone shut and put it in his pocket.

"What are you thinking?" I said angrily, "This could get both Misa and Matsuda killed!"

"What else could we do, Adelynn?" L said calmly, "Don't you want Matsuda to get out safely, too?"

"Yes..." I muttered, "But there must be a safer way..."

Once again I felt idiotic at my outburst, but felt better when I saw that the others seemed to be as concerned as I was. I turned around in my chair and rested my head on the desk, not wanting to say anything else. L remained seated the way he was, and Light and Chief Yagami both resumed looking through the profiles of the various Yotsuba members. 'We're back where we started…' I thought dismally, 'And so we wait…'

**--**

**A/N- Cliffhanger! But not really. Most of you know what's going to be happening... but that's where Adelynn makes it interesting. Higuchi, that despicable man, is coming up soon...**

**Thanks for all of the reviews & Story Favorites/ Alerts! They make my day. :3**


	14. Death of a Manager

**A/N: Alright, Part Fourteen is finally up!**

**Just to let you know, this changes from Adelynn's view to L's somewhere in the middle.**

**Keep in mind that Adelynn's view is always in first person, and L's is always going to be in third person.**

**Hope you like it!**

**Part Fourteen – Death of a Manager**

"A meeting?" asked Chief Yagami, and L nodded.

"Yes… I suppose that would be the best course of action. It would have to be here at headquarters. That way we can monitor what's going on, and also keep an eye on all of the Yotsuba members." He finished his sentence and stared thoughtfully at the empty teacup before him. "And from there we can see how much of a threat they are to us."

I had been half-asleep at the desk when Matsuda had called L's emergency cell phone. He had just gotten Misa and himself out of an introductory meeting with Yotsuba, and they were interested in having her in their next commercial. To further things, Matsuda had also offered to have another meeting with them tonight. I wondered how this would get Matsuda and Misa out of danger, but thought better of questioning the detective.

I listened interestedly to their plans for tonight, and sat up as a thought popped into my head, "Ryuzaki-san, do you think I'd be able to help with the meeting tonight?"

He didn't say anything for a moment, but then said, "It would be too dangerous, Adelynn."

I glared at him. "Misa-chan is in danger too."

He sighed, then said reluctantly, "If you're willing to take that risk…"

I grinned, "I've got nothing better to do." No one replied, and I stood up and stretched, "So… when Misa gets back we'll discuss what to do, right?" I asked, and he nodded. I began walking towards the exit to head to my room.

"You're sure you want to do this, Adelynn?" L asked, and I turned back towards him.

"If Misa can get herself out of a situation like this, then I sure as Hell can, too."

He smirked, and I knew that I'd won.

***********

"Misa!" I whined, "You have got to be kidding me!" I stepped out of the model's large closet and pointed at my reflection in the mirror.

"What?" she asked dubiously, "I see nothing wrong with that outfit. You look gorgeous!"

I gaped at her, "I don't know how you put up with this thing! It's so... revealing." Misa snickered at my response.

To be able to help out with their meeting with Yotsuba, I had to dress as Misa would. I regretted ever volunteering now as I glanced at myself in the mirror. The black dress she'd lent me was shorter than anything I'd ever owned in my life, and was sleeveless with a very-low cut, lacy top. I looked at myself in disgust once more, then turned to Misa, who was applying thick black eyeliner to her already dark eyes.

"Misa." I said firmly, "I can not wear this. I will not wear this." I turned on my heel stubbornly and began marching back towards her closet. As I knew she would, Misa grabbed my arm and dragged me to the couch farthest away from it.

"Now," she said patiently, "You will stay here. You're the one who volunteered for this." I stuck my tongue out at her and she sighed, now impatient, "Look. Matsuda needs you and Misa to get him off the hook. Do you want him dead?" She had both of her hands on my shoulders, holding me down, and I had no choice but to glare at her darkly.

"No." I said stubbornly. Misa released my shoulder, satisfied that I was finally giving in, and walked to her desk, which was littered with different make-up supplies. I folded my arms across my chest and turned away from her as she gathered an armful of make-up and sat next to me on the couch.

Misa sighed, frustrated, and said, "Turn around, Adelynn." I stayed still as stone, knowing that I was fighting a losing battle. "Even if I have to knock you out to get you ready for this meeting, I'll do it." I noted how she hadn't referred to herself in the third person, and rolled my eyes. Now she was getting serious.

I turned around slowly, giving her the best evil glare I could. She smiled back, delighted that she wouldn't have to attack me, and began 'painting' my face.

Several minutes later, Misa got up and squealed excitedly. "Oh! You look adorable!" I sighed half-heartedly and stood up. Ignoring Misa's constant babbling, I crossed over to the mirror to assess the damage.

I was prepared for the worst when I first glanced at the full-length mirror, but was genuinely surprised at what I actually saw. I looked completely different, but not in a bad way. Instead of seeing the average-looking girl I had always perceived, I saw a tall beauty. For once I had curves to show off, and I was shocked by it. My normally non-existent self esteem was kicked up a notch. I reached up and touched my face. 'Is this really me?' I thought, and heard Misa clear her throat pointedly.

"Well," she said expectantly, "What do you think?" I had no words to describe what I felt, and turned to her.

"Weird." I stated, and she huffed in irritation at my stubborn composure.

"You look beautiful, and you know it." She pouted childishly, "And it was all because of Misa-Misa!" She made a peace sign and struck a ridiculous pose. I laughed outright at how idiotic it looked, and she glared at me. "Just because you're unappreciative of Misa's hard work doesn't mean that they will be."

I froze. "They?" In response, Misa rolled her eyes.

"Even though it may not seem like it sometimes, we do live with full-grown men. And they will notice these kinds of things."

I stared at her incredulously, "I don't think so." Turning on my heel, I began walking briskly to her bathroom door.

"Where are you going?" She demanded, and I smirked.

"To fix my face," I stated simply, "And you can't stop me." I reached the door and twisted the handle.

"But... didn't you want to impress Ryuzaki?"

Once again I froze, and then turned to face her.

"Excuse me?"

She had a smug smirk on her face as she said, "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. Misa has seen you staring at Ryuuzaki. You can't take your eyes off of him."

I wasn't sure what my face was showing at the moment, but Misa certainly seemed to enjoy it. She giggled girlishly and pointed at me.

"You're blushing." She taunted. I turned my face away from her. "You like Ryuzaki!"

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said curtly, and stepped into her bathroom, locking the door behind me.

"Don't worry!" Misa yelled outside of the door, "I won't tell anyone; not even Light!"

I groaned. What a nightmare.

***********

I cringed at the thought of wearing heels. I had a feeling that I would trip and fall at any moment whenever I wore them. I walked out of the bathroom slowly, meeting Misa outside of it, grimacing as she rummaged through a duffel bag full of shoes. "Even if I did like Ryuuzaki, he wouldn't notice me. He's too…" I didn't finish my sentence. I didn't even know myself how to describe him, and 'exceedingly adorable' wouldn't be the best way to lead Misa off the subject.

"Sure he would," she said distractedly, "Just be yourself and he'll see you soon enough." I stared at her as I processed this. Soon enough wasn't… soon enough. I wanted to be able to actually talk to him, not stare at my feet whenever I was near him.

She handed me a pair of black high heeled shoes, and smiled at me brightly. I smiled half-heartedly back, but really wanted to turn and run. But I knew I couldn't do that; Misa might tackle me as she had threatened earlier.

We both walked down to the lobby, Misa chattering excitedly about her shot at being in the new Yotsuba commercial, and me staring down at the floor wordlessly. The dress Misa had lent me swished uncomfortably as I walked awkwardly down the hallway. What was I getting myself into? I sighed and entered through the double doors into the spacious lobby.

Chief Yagami and Mogi weren't present at the time we got there; it was only Light and L sitting in the same places they always were.

I stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, feeling not for the first time that I wanted to disappear. Misa huffed in irritation and yelled, "Hello?" Light turned around in his chair, but L stayed in place.

Light grinned, "Hello, Misa. Adelynn. Ryuuzaki and I were just discussing the plan for tonight's meeting. I see you're both ready."

Misa nodded excitedly, "Yes, and Misa got Adelynn-chan to finally wear make-up! Doesn't she look so much better?"  
I glared at her and mumbled, "I wear eyeliner… sometimes…"

"Oh, hush. Stop being so stubborn, Adelynn." She chided, and I rolled my eyes. "What do you think, Ryuuzaki" Misa asked, and I saw as she grinned mischievously at me, and then turned to him expectantly.

"Yes, what _do_you think, Ryuuzaki?" Light asked, smirking devilishly at him. Had I missed something?

He halfway turned around and glanced quickly at me. "Yes, I suppose she does look quite nice…" he muttered, and turned back to his laptop.

Misa glared at him, and I gave her an 'I told you so,' look. She rolled her eyes at me. There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment, and then Light stood up.

"We'll be watching the meeting from in here; since, for obvious reasons, we can't be up there ourselves."

Misa and I nodded in agreement, and he continued, "It will be dangerous, but it's the only way we can get Matsuda out of this alive. So…don't do anything stupid." He looked at Misa when he said this, and I held back a laugh.

"Oh, don't worry, Light-kun, Misa and Adelynn-chan will stay safe!" Misa squealed, and I nodded my head to show I understood. Light checked his watch, and said,

"They'll be arriving in a half hour; so I'd advise you both to go up to the meeting room, in case they're early. Watari-san will show them the way up." Once again, Misa and I nodded, and we both turned to go.

"Be careful, please." L said quietly, "Both of you."

***********

I looked around the room at the Yotsuba employees. None of them really looked sinister on the surface; but then again, the real Kira would have to be a good actor. Misa was sitting on one of the couches in the middle of the room, a slightly disgruntled look upon her face. There was a middle-aged man sitting in very close proximity to her, with his arm slung around her shoulders. She looked as if she were trying to get away from him without being rude, but was failing miserably. I felt sorry for her, and decided to help her out.

I crossed over to the couch across from Misa and the red-headed man, and smiled widely at the young model. She instantly looked relieved, and smiled back.

"Misa-chan, could I have a word with you?" I looked apologetically to the man beside her, "I'm sorry, Mr.-?"

"Higuchi." He added, and smirked at me. I watched and squirmed uncomfortably as his eyes travelled from my face to the rest of my body, shamelessly coming to a rest where my dress cut off on my thighs. I resisted the overwhelming urge to slap the lecherous man, and instead got up and grabbed Misa's arm. I dragged her to the wall farthest away from him. She sighed happily, "Thanks for getting me away from him. He's been asking for my number the whole night, but I've only given him my email so far."

I nodded thoughtfully, a plan forming in my mind. "Misa… do you really think Kira is among the people in here?"

She looked around the room thoughtfully, and nodded. "Yes. If Light-kun thinks he is, then Misa does too!"

I grinned mischievously, "So do you also think that we should try and get information out of them, by any means possible?"

"Light-kun and Ryuzaki-san said that this was just a meeting to help Matsuda to get out of trouble…"

"But if we find out who Kira is, then won't it make Light happy?"

"Yes, it would…"

"So why not try and speed things up now?"

Misa sighed, "Misa only does what Light-kun tells her to do." She looked at me quizzically, "Adelynn-chan, what are you up to?"

I smirked, "Just a bit of investigative work."

"Well, Misa can't stop you from doing anything. But be careful." She chided, and I nodded. She turned on her heel and went to talk to another member of Yotsuba. I looked back to the couch where the lecherous man had been, but saw that he had now moved to a wall farthest away from the rest of the people.

I took a deep breath, then let it out slowly, feeling disgusted with myself. I walked slowly to the lone man, keeping my eyes trained on his face. He didn't notice me walking over until I was almost there, but when he did he smirked and appraised me once again with his eyes. 'Well, here goes nothing…' I thought, and smiled back seductively.

********

L's hands tightened impulsively on his knees as he watched Adelynn and Higuchi on the screen before him. She reached up and rubbed Higuchi's shoulder playfully, and a wave of fury coursed through him. He was caught off guard by his own reaction. This wasn't like him, not at all. He pried his eyes away from the screen, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. What was she doing? She wasn't sticking to the plan! He'd specifically told Misa and Adelynn to keep a low profile; this was the only way to save Matsuda. And now she was ruining their hard work, by fraternizing with the enemy! She'd put Matsuda in even greater danger with the way things were going now.

He glanced once more at the screen, and saw as the despicable man she was with looped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She smirked alluringly and said something to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

A fresh wave of fury hit him, and he winced as his nails dug painfully into his knees. 'The plan, Adelynn, stick to the plan!' he thought angrily. He ignored the silent nagging in the back of his mind that was telling him that maybe he wasn't only concerned for the plan…

He removed one of his hands from his knees and brought it up to his mouth, chewing on the nail thoughtfully. 'No…' he told himself, 'your only priority is to get the three of them out of this situation alive.' He repeated this over and over to himself, all the while fighting the impulse to run up to the meeting and rip Higuchi to shreds.

He wished that he could hear what they were both saying; but the only speaker was plugged in to the biggest screen, not the small one that no one but him was paying attention to.

He detached his furious gaze from the smaller screen to the bigger one, and noted that Matsuda was making his exit to the front of the room. He stopped at the door and rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "Well, I, uh, I'm heading to the bathroom. Please excuse me." He announced, and walked at a fast pace down the hallway.

Adelynn, in the meantime, seemed to have moved even closer to the lecherous man; tangling one hand in his hair, and her face dangerously close to his. He was talking animatedly to her now, a mischievous smirk on his face. Just as she began replying back to him, L was startled out of his reverie by his emergency cell phone going off right next to him. He shook his head, clearing it of the absurdly out-of-character thoughts it had been perusing, and pressed the talk button.

"Ryuzaki, are you watching?" Matsuda said hurriedly, and L noted that he was hiding in one of the bathroom stalls down the hallway from the meeting room.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, I-"

"That doesn't matter right now."

"Right. Those eight were in a meeting about murdering, by using Kira. It's them, I know it for sure."

L nodded thoughtfully, "You're sure… then I'm certain that they will try to kill you." There was a tense moment of silence, and then Matsuda sighed.

"Ah, I knew it. Is there anyway that I can get myself out of this alive?"

"We're lucky that they let you live this long. I believe the only thing you can do is… kill yourself, before they kill you."

***********

My plan had been working perfectly so far. At the rate I'd been working, this disgusting pig of a man was willing to tell me anything. I giggled girlishly and smiled alluringly, "I like a man with power…" I said, continuing a conversation that we'd been having off in the secluded corner.

He smirked, an excited light dancing in his eyes, "I have more power than you could ever imagine."

'What a pig,' I thought disgustedly, and ran a hand through his red hair. "Oh, yeah? How so?" I asked. He grinned expectantly and began to say something when the front door to the room was kicked open, and Matsuda barged in, tripping over his own feet as if he were drunk. Higuchi released my waist.

'Damn it, Matsuda!' I thought resentfully, 'I was just getting somewhere…'

Matsuda drunkenly stumbled to the back of the huge meeting room, and clapped his hands. "Ah that was good, good feels so good..." He laughed insanely and opened the sliding glass door leading to the patio. "Hello everyone! I will do something fun. Watch this! It'll be fun!"

He then proceeded to stand up on the ledge, balancing despite his intoxicated demeanor. I stepped away from Higuchi and walked over to Misa, who was watching him with interest. "Now everyone, thanks for waiting! This is Matsui Show-Time!"

He began walking on the ledge, periodically doing little leaps and laughing stupidly.

"Wooo! Matsui, go for it!" Misa yelled, clapping her hands excitedly. I gaped at her. What the Hell was Matsuda doing? He'd get killed! And she's encouraging it?

"Aha, here I go!" Matsuda yelled, and bent down to touch his toes. He then kicked his feet up in the air, doing a handstand on the narrow ledge. He was swaying dangerously back and forth, grinning like an idiot.

"Matsui!" I yelled desperately, "Stop that! It's dangerous!"

Matsuda giggled in response, "Oh, don't worry, I do this all the time!"

Everyone gasped as he lifted one hand up and waved slightly at all of us and grinned. The people in the meeting all shouted warnings at him, and he just shrugged them off, telling them not to worry. After a few seconds I had had enough of his drunken nonsense, and began walking hurriedly towards him. "Matsui, stop! You'll fall, you idiot!"

I had gotten halfway to the ledge when he yelled, "It'll be fine!" and began walking forward on his hands. His left hand slipped, and everyone screamed as he fell off the ledge, towards the street below. There was a sickening thudding sound as his body hit the ground, and then dead silence.

"Matsui!" I shrieked, and ran to peer over the ledge. His body was sprawled on the street below, and I felt my head spin.

'Not Matsuda…' I thought, and then heard a woman screaming at the sight of his dead body. The members of the meeting had all gathered behind me, peering over the ledge as I had done.

"This is bad…" muttered one of the Yotsuba employees, "We shouldn't be here!"

"Everyone, please leave fast. Leave it all to us!" Misa said authoritatively, and the man looked back at her.

"What? Are you sure?"

"It's fine." She said calmly, "Just think about our offer, okay?"

I looked at her incredulously. One of our friends had just fallen to his death, and the only thing she was worried about was her commercial?

"Uh, alright." He replied nervously, then ordered the others in the room, "Fast! Let's leave! It wouldn't be good if they caught us here…"

Everyone except Misa and I exited the room.

I stood at the ledge and watched as a crowd of people gathered around Matsuda's dead body. An ambulance drove up quickly and loaded his body onto a stretcher, then drove off quickly down the road. So that was it...? Matsuda's… dead? My knees began to tremble as my head began spinning even more rapidly, and I sunk to the floor. 'No, no, no!' I kept repeating in my mind. 'This can't be happening! Not Matsuda…"

Misa walked up to me and laid a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to her, and she had a wide grin on her face. "We did it." She said triumphantly, and I stared at her, shocked.

"What the Hell do you mean? Matsuda's dead. We weren't able to save him…" Tears pooled up in my eyes and I rested my head on my knees, trying to blink them away.

"Oh, Adelynn-chan. That was all planned! Matsuda's not dead; he's down in the lobby."

"What?" I said darkly, and looked up at her. "That's not possible. I saw his body on the ground… and the ambulance just came. Everyone saw him fall." I figured she might be in denial. She was grinning even more now, and I could tell that she'd been bursting to tell me something the whole time.

"That was Aiber, dressed up as Matsuda! Light-kun and Ryuzaki-san had it all planned out from the beginning! They were the ones who drove away with the ambulance, and the lady who screamed was Wedy! It was all so that the Yotsuba members won't get Kira to kill Matsuda off when the meeting was over! Clever, huh?" She laughed happily, and I stood up, furious.

"And you couldn't have told me this earlier?" I spat, and glared at her darkly.

"Nope." She said, smiling still, "Ryuzaki-san and Light-kun weren't sure if you were a good enough actress to pull it off. So… they asked Misa not to tell you!"

I was beyond furious at this point; I'd had enough. "Not a good enough actress, eh?" I said, grinning crookedly, "I beg to differ."

I left Misa standing out on the patio and stormed into the room and out into the hallway, making my way down to the lobby. There'd be Hell to pay for this.

**--**

**A/N: So... that took a lot longer than I expected to write. But hopefully it was worth the wait! I think it's the longest chapter on here...**

**Leave comments and constructive criticism, please! ^_^**

**-Sydney**


	15. Quite An Actress

**Part Fifteen – Quite An Actress.**

I walked quickly down the long hallways and pushed past the doors into the lobby. The clicking of my black heels on the tile echoed throughout the lobby. Matsuda, who was sitting in the black couch I usually occupied, greeted me happily. I stalked past him without a word. It seemed that Light and L had just gotten back, and they were wearing the EMT uniforms they'd disguised themselves in. I saw Light take one look at my furious expression and then glance sideways at L, who seemed oblivious to my rather dramatic entrance.

Once I reached them both, I stood there with my hands on my hips. "Ryuuzaki."

L turned around, an all too innocent expression on his face. "Yes?"

"What the **Hell** was that all about?"

He blinked. "What was what, exactly, all about?"

I glared at him. "You planned all of that, but didn't bother telling me?"

"As Misa-san has most likely informed you, we weren't certain you'd be able to… play the part." He shrugged.

"Not play the part?" I scoffed, "That's absolutely ridiculous. I can fend for myself."

L averted his eyes and said, "So I've seen, given your little charade with Higuchi. You were quite believable, I must say." I could practically hear the 'a bit too believable' ringing in the air, and blushed. So, he had seen that?

"What is that supposed to mean?" I was greeted with silence, and then continued, "I only did that to see what he knew about Kira." L was still looking away from me, at a spot on the floor. It annoyed me that he was acting so childishly.

I jumped slightly when Matsuda said from a bit behind us, "See, Ryuuzaki? We have no reason to doubt her now; she's proven that she's good at acting." I wasn't the only one startled by Matsuda; L looked as if he'd just been woken up, and glanced around the room. It seemed as if he, too, had forgotten that there were other people in the room with us.

L looked back at me resentfully, "Yes. She's quite a good actress…" His voice was laced with sarcasm, and I glared at him. What was his problem?

"What is this really about, Ryuuzaki?"

"Other than jeopardizing this case?" He replied evenly, "Nothing."

I rolled my eyes at him. "'Jeopardizing the case'? I was just getting somewhere when Matsuda performed his little disappearing act. Higuchi knows something about Kira. And I would've figured it out if it weren't for your plan."

I took two steps closer to him and let this sink in, preparing to go off on a rant. Matsuda cleared his throat nervously and said, "Guys? Can we just drop this? I'm alive and kicking, that's all that matters, right?"

"Stay out of this, Matsuda." L and I snapped in unison. I was still glaring up at L, who was less than a foot away from me now, and said,

"You know what I think, Ryuuzaki? I think you-" I poked him in the chest, "are jealous."

He looked down at me curiously at first, then resentfully as he replied, "Jealous? Not particularly. I am only concerned for this case."

I smirked, "Keep telling yourself that." I stared straight into his eyes, and wondered vaguely where I had gotten all this confidence from.

L stared right back at me, no longer resentful, but wary and defensive. There was also concern in his voice as he said, "If you had made one wrong move then not only would you personally have been in danger, but the rest of us would have been too. Taking unnecessary risks is not allowable."

"We're all risking our lives just being here." I said, grasping onto whatever I could think of to refute his statement.

"That's the choice we all made when began investigating this case."

"But I didn't want to be here in the first place!" I yelled, frustrated.

"And yet you volunteered to help tonight."

I pried my gaze from his, "Well… yes…"

"Then it's a moot point."

I stood there, silently fuming for a moment, and then I realized how close he and I were. I was less than a foot away from him now; so close our bodies were almost touching. L must have realized it too, for he seemed to tense up the slightest bit, and my anger began to slowly diminish. Something in his eyes had changed, and as I tried figuring what exactly, I had a strange urge to brush away the black hair that had fallen partially over his dark eyes. His eyes searched my face too, wondering, and I felt my heart rate pick up as he hesitantly raised a hand and stroked the side of my face gently. I felt my face flush red and he dropped his hand, an odd look in his eyes.

"I apologize for not trusting you." He said quietly, not moving from where we were.

I knew I was giving up but couldn't be mad at myself as I wanted to be when I said, "It's alright…" and kept staring into his dark eyes, never wanting to have to look away.

It was a few moments before either of us could say anything; and finally L said a bit shakily, "But from now on, we cannot risk our lives or identities unnecessarily. We must all stick to the same plans."

I struggled to regain control of my thoughts as I reluctantly pried my gaze from his, and mumbled, "As long as I know what they are."

L smirked slightly, "I suppose I could trust you. At least, I hope I can."

"Is that a good thing?" I asked, looking back at him.

"I believe so," he replied, and I grinned.

**----------------***---------------**

"Ow," I moaned, "I don't know how you can wear these things so often." Misa and I were back in her room, now that things had settled again. I sat on the floor by her couch, rubbing my sore feet, and she sat a few feet away from me, reading a magazine with her on the cover.

"You get used to it." She stated simply, and turned a page quickly.

"Sure…" I mumbled, "Misa, how did you know you were in love with Light?"

Misa set down her magazine and stared at me incredulously. "What do you mean, 'how did I know'? When Misa and Light met, things just… clicked. It wasn't something we had to think about."

"You're making it sound so easy…"

"Well, it is, Adelynn-chan! Why do you ask?"

"No reason. I was just thinking."

"Oh," she said quietly, "about Ryuuzaki?"

"No." I snapped quickly, and didn't look back up.

"You know... he really **did** seem jealous. About you flirting with that Higuchi guy." She snickered, "Told you so."

I sighed. "Misa, you're unbelievable."

"You just don't want to believe it." She paused before adding, "If you talked to Ryuuzaki the way you talked to Higuchi then you'd have him, no problem."

I looked at her, bewildered and embarrassed, and chucked my shoe at her. She dodged it quickly, to my surprise, and pouted at me. "Misa was just trying to help."

I looked away from her again and said, "Well… don't…" There was silence for a few moments until I sighed, frustrated, "There's something about Higuchi; he's got something to do with Kira. But what?" I blew my dark brown bangs out of my eyes and said childishly, "If only I'd known before-hand what was going on…"

Misa rolled her eyes, obviously tired of my complaining, and said, "Well, now Ryuuzaki-san can trust you more! That's a good thing." She hummed contentedly for a moment, and then gasped. "Maybe now you can come to one of Misa-Misa's photo shoots!"

She began chattering excitedly about what exactly she does during a photo shoot, and I tuned her out, tired of her rambling. I thought back to earlier this evening, when L and I had been arguing; when he had reached up and stroked the side of my face gently, hesitatingly. My cheeks burned as I thought of this, and I was bewildered. What was that about? I was so caught up in my thoughts at first that I didn't hear Misa calling my name.

"Adelynn-chan?" She demanded, "Are you there? You're not listening to me." She crossed her arms and pouted.

"Yeah, sorry, what was that?" I asked, irritated that she'd interrupted my thoughts.

"Misa was wondering why you were here. In Japan. You're definitely not Japanese…"

I blinked at her, momentarily confused. How had we gotten onto this topic? I looked away from her and thought to myself, 'How much should I tell her?'

I bit my lip hesitantly, and then said, "Well… it's a long story. But to make it short, my mom and grandma left America with me when I was three years old. We left to get away from some…" I searched for the word, "problems."

Misa looked at me curiously, "Really? Like what?"

I shook my head tiredly, and said, "I'd rather not discuss this, right now. Sorry."

She looked slightly bemused but gave up and said, "Oh… okay. Maybe later?"

I yawned loudly, theatrically, and said dismissively, "Yeah, later. Well, I'm going to go back to my room now. I'm kind of tired…" I began to walk away slowly, and Misa yelled after me,

"Good night, Adelynn-chan! You did great tonight!"

"Yeah, you did too…" I said quietly, "G'night." I made my way up to my room on the ninth floor, silently and pensively. Once I got there I sunk down on my bed, exhausted, and tried not to think.


	16. Kira

**Part Sixteen – Kira**

"Oh Adelynn-chan, this is so exciting!" Misa squealed, "This is the first time you've been out since you were arrested."

"Uh… Misa," I whispered hurriedly, "It's Rosaline, remember?"

"Oh! Right!"

I was genuinely surprised when Misa had almost broken down my bedroom door in her pursuit to tell me we were going out today, to one of her photo shoots. It wasn't like I had anything better to do, really, so I went along with her. To be outside for the first time in months felt so odd; it was kind of overwhelming, given the fact that I'd seen nothing but the inside of headquarters for so long. I was glad that the photo shoot was going to take place outside; I didn't want to have to go back inside anytime soon. The evening was surprisingly warm, despite the storm clouds rolling in from the horizon. I glared up at them, hoping that it wouldn't rain too soon.

"How long is this going to take?" I asked, still observing the dark clouds.

"Well, usually it takes three or four hours…"

"Oh. Great." I wondered if the rain would start during the shoot, and figured it was more than likely.

Misa looked at me, resentful and slightly offended, "Aren't you excited?"

"Yeah, I'm just worried about the rain…" I sighed. "And it's a bit weird being out here without Ryuuzaki or Light trailing along."

"Well… Mochi's here!" Misa pointed to Mogi, who was now acting as her energetic new manger.

"Yeah, I guess…" I replied, "And our clothes are probably bugged too."

She looked at me, surprised, and said, "You're probably right."

******

My guess was right; the rain did start to pour an hour or so after they began the photo shoot. At first it was just a light drizzle, but then it began coming down in torrents, soaking everyone on the set. The crew all rushed to create tents and keep the equipment safe, and Misa was hiding under a large umbrella they'd provided for her. Mogi was talking animatedly to the photographer, and I stood by myself a few yards away from everything. I walked slowly away from the set, not wanting to be in anyone's way during the commotion. I reached a parking lot and stood on the sidewalk next to it, leaning against the wall of a building and staring off into space.

Has it really only been a few months since my family had been murdered? Thinking back to it now, it seems like an eternity ago. It was alarming how fast things had changed; how my life had gone from completely normal and happy to depressing and hectic, and then back to… normal. Not normal as it is usually defined, not at all, but normal in that now everything was beginning to look just a bit brighter, a bit more familiar. Headquarters was… home, in a sense. I no longer resented any of the investigators as I used to; without them, I'd have literally nothing. Without L, I'd have nothing…

The rain was coming down so hard now that I didn't hear a car roll up a few spaces away from my spot by the parking lot.

"Ah, if it isn't Ms. Rosaline Anne Connor…" I turned around slowly and saw Higuchi striding up to me from his car. "Or should I say Adelynn Jae Christoph? Funny how these things work out; I came here for Misa but instead get you."

My heart rate accelerated when I heard him say my real name. 'How does he know?' I thought desperately, 'I know for sure that I didn't give him my real name at the meeting…' Keeping my voice calm, I said, "What are you talking about?"

He grinned malevolently and stepped closer to me, so that we were less than a foot away from each other. My first instinct was to back away, but when I did, Higuchi grabbed my wrists and pulled me to him. "I am Kira," he whispered, and smirked when he saw the fear flash in my eyes, "Come with me now and no one will be harmed."

My head began to spin and the thought that popped into my mind first was, 'If he's telling me this now, then he doesn't intend for me to live.' Fear coursed throughout my body, and panic almost completely shut down my brain. Higuchi had a firm grip on my left arm as he dragged me over to his car and opened the door, signaling for me to get in. I blinked at him as the adrenaline coursed through my veins, and took off, running as fast as I could away from him. I hadn't gotten very far at all when he grabbed both of my arms from behind and forced them painfully behind my back.

"Didn't think you were going to get away that easily, did you?" He growled, and dragged me over to the car. I struggled uselessly as he pushed me into the back seat. I tried screaming, but no sound would come out; and I gave up. A blindfold was placed over my eyes as I was gagged and tied up, making it useless for me to try to escape. The engine of the car started, and Higuchi pulled roughly out of the parking lot, and sped off down the road.

*******

The whole of the day had been utterly boring, to say the least. Without either Misa or Adelynn there with Light and L, the lobby seemed a bit too quiet, too lonely. Matsuda had been in there earlier, but left soon after realizing that nothing was happening. The bugs that had been planted on Adelynn and Misa's jackets had been damaged; the rain had made sure of that. Light had been certain that nothing was going to happen to the two girls while they were with Mogi, but L didn't feel so sure. It might have just been his want to keep an eye on everything that was happening during the case; or it could be something more. Either way, there was nothing he or Light could do about it but sit and wait.

Light's cell phone went off then, a shrill ringing breaking through the silence. Light picked it up quickly and said, "Misa?"

There was the excited buzz of the model's voice coming from the other line, and then Light replied, "No, we haven't seen or heard from her. Why?" His brow furrowed in concentration as he listened. L sat up in his chair, trying to hear what they were saying. He figured that 'her' must be referring to Adelynn, and was instantly worried.

"Have you tried calling her cell phone?" Light asked Misa. Without waiting to see Light's reaction to her reply, L picked up the phone next to him and dialed Adelynn's emergency cell phone number. It went straight to voice mail, and he hung up quickly.

"Her cell phone's turned off." L said, and Light nodded.

"Ryuuzaki-san can't get a hold of her. Misa, are you sure Adelynn isn't around there?" There was a pause as the model looked around once more.

"Get them back here." L told Light. Light stared at him blankly for a moment, and then said,

"Misa, I want you and Mogi-san to come straight back to headquarters. If Adelynn's in danger then you very well might be, too." Light hung up the phone, and then looked to L. He was scanning through the conversations picked up by the bugs on Adelynn and Misa, and so far was having no luck.

"Damn it," he said, irritated, "The rain damaged the bugs too extensively. I can't hear anything past the first hour of the recording…"

Light looked at him, surprised that he was so worked up, and said, "She probably is only lost, right? I mean, she hasn't been out in months, and that area could be unfamiliar to her."

L turned off the recordings and began chewing on his nail thoughtfully, "Yes, that is possible. But I'm ninety percent certain that she wouldn't have her emergency cell phone turned off, especially if she were lost. She **is **stubborn, but she's not stupid."

"So what do you think happened?" Light asked, sitting down next to the agitated detective.

"I'm not sure…" He let his voice trail off then, and the silence closed in upon them both.

"Watari." L said suddenly, pressing a button on his desk, "Please get the surveillance tapes of Misa's latest photo shoot; we'll need them as soon as possible."

*******

I couldn't tell how long it had been – 10 minutes? An hour? – before the car came to a complete stop. I heard the back door open slowly, and then was seized by the shoulders and pulled out of the vehicle. I was led to a chair and tied to it, and then my blindfold was removed. The room I was in resembled a large garage, with the car parked by the wall opposite of where I was sitting. There was a large light on the ceiling in the middle of the room; other than that the room was empty. Higuchi stood a few feet away from me and leaning on the wall, a mischievous smirk on his face.

"What do you want with me?" I asked, trying my best not to look nearly as frightened as I felt.

"What do I want?" He repeated, and then laughed. "Information."

Higuchi began pacing back and forth, an insane light dancing in his eyes. His footsteps echoed in the silence, and he said, "You're a close friend of Misa's, correct?"

He looked to me and I looked away, determined not to say anything.

"Misa is the second Kira." I looked at him, startled that he knew that, and he smirked. "Oh, don't look so surprised. You knew that; since you're also a suspect."

"How do you know that?" I asked, and my voice cracked.

"It's amazing the kind of information you can get using fear." He replied, and walked slowly up to me. "You know who L is. And you're going to tell me."

"I'm not going to tell you anything." I snapped, and his smirk vanished.

"I'm afraid you have no choice, Adelynn."

*******

"Ryuuzaki," Light said suddenly, disrupting the concentrated atmosphere of the lobby, "Come take a look at this. I believe that's Adelynn…?"

He pointed to the figure of a lone figure clad in black standing in a parking lot next to the set.

"Yes, that must be her…" he answered, noting the way she stared pensively off into space, absentmindedly rubbing the underside of her arm, a nervous habit of hers. He figured she must be humming, as she always did when she seemed stressed. "How long ago was this?"

"Approximately two hours," Light replied, "and nothing happens until around a half an hour later."

Light pressed a button on the keyboard and the tapes began fast-forwarding. Adelynn didn't move at all in that time, except to sit down for two minutes and then get up again. At that time, a sleek black car pulled up in the parking lot, a few spots away from her. She didn't seem to notice as she was so absorbed in her own thoughts. The torrents of rain didn't really help, either. A tall man in a gray jacket with the hood pulled up stepped out of the vehicle, and walked purposefully towards Adelynn. The man must have said something to her; she seemed to be startled and turned around quickly to face him. He walked right up to her, leaving hardly any space between them. Adelynn stepped back fearfully, but the man grabbed both of her wrists and pulled her to him.

L's hands balled up into fists, his pulse quickening, and he had to remind himself that this had been nearly two hours ago.

The video wasn't the best quality, with the picture blurred and fuzzy, but it wasn't hard to see that Adelynn was afraid. As the man said something to her, she visibly tensed up, and was almost effortlessly led away from the sidewalk. The hood of the man's jacket almost completely hid his face; the only way to tell who he was would be for him to turn and face the camera.

Adelynn was led to the car that had pulled up earlier, and she stood there as the man motioned for her to get in, a blank look on her face. She didn't respond for a moment, but then turned and sprinted off in the opposite direction. She had only gotten a few yards from the car when the man tackled her and brought her back, shoving her into the back seat and making sure she couldn't get out.

"Rewind the tape, please, Light." He had managed to keep his voice surprisingly calm as he said this, despite the overwhelming fury at watching Adelynn being forcibly taken and possibly hurt. Looking back at the tapes, L thought he'd noticed something as the man turned to catch Adelynn, a flash of red…

L pressed the pause button once he got to the correct frame, and Light said, "Is that…"

"Higuchi." L said angrily, thinking back to the night that Matsuda had faked his death, "Adelynn, please be safe…"

**A/N: What do you think? Exciting? This would have been longer, but I've promised myself [and you] that I'd update the story once a week. So... I guess you'll be waiting in suspense. -insert evil laughter here- Comments? Thanks so much for the comments and story alerts/faves! :3**


	17. The Death Note

**Part Seventeen – The Death Note [I]**

I watched as Higuchi paced back and forth in front of me, an evil look on his cruel face. I had no doubt in my mind that he would do whatever it took to get the information he needed out of me. He stopped his pacing when he was directly in front of me, and said, "Where is L?"

I kept my lips shut tight, and he said again, "Where is L?"

I didn't respond, and he swung a fist towards my face. I cried out in pain when it collided with my jaw, and he laughed madly.

"I know you know where he is. And I'm not going to let you go until you tell me."

"You're not going to let me go anyway." I spat, and glared at him.

He arched an eyebrow, "I suppose you're right. But that just means," He punched my face again, and I cried out once more, "that I get to watch you wallow in pain." Higuchi smiled sadistically, and I stared straight ahead, not letting him know how terrified I was.

"I could make this easier for you…" he sneered, "If you told me who and where L is, I can make your death so much less painful."

"Never." I smirked despite my fear, and he looked at me furiously. Higuchi took a pocket knife out of his pocket, and swung the blade out dangerously. He walked behind me and pressed the cool metal of the blade against my throat,

"You know… killing you may be as entertaining as killing your father."

I froze and said cautiously, "What are you talking about? How do you know my dad?"

He laughed and said, "Once I found out who you were, I did some research. I found that you-" He pulled my head back so that I had to look directly at him, "-have no living family except for your dad. And that's why… I killed him."

I smirked, "Do you really think that I care about that bastard? I can't even remember the man. All I know is that he's done horrible things. And he's probably better off dead."

That must not have been the reaction Higuchi had been expecting, because his triumphant grin disappeared and he glared at me, releasing my head.

"I've hated him ever since I was old enough to understand what he's done to me and my family…" I said, and looked mischievously back at Higuchi.

I could literally see the gears turning in his head as he thought of what to say. "Your father's blood runs in your veins. You could be just like him."

"I'm nothing like him." I spat, and Higuchi chuckled.

"You can try to convince yourself of that. I never thought I'd be like my father. Of course, I knew I'd be extremely successful," he smirked, "just like him. But I didn't think that I'd resort to murder to get what I wanted, to get to the top. I hated my father. He was power hungry, greedy, neglectful... and I used to resent him for it. But now I realize that I'm just like him, and I will stop at nothing to get what I want. I killed him to get his position at Yotsuba; and I've killed others to surpass even his high ranking."

"You're sick." I said, and he laughed again.

"Maybe; maybe not. The point is; I will stop at nothing to get what I want. And what I want is to know where L is."

I stared blankly at him, and thought of what he'd said about my dad. I hadn't thought about him since the night Misa had asked me about why my mom and grandma and I had come to Japan. He's… dead? Even though I hated him with every fiber of my being for what he's done, I felt even more alone as I thought that I was the only one of my family left. 'This isn't the way it's supposed to be…' I thought, and glared at Higuchi.

"I'm not going to tell you where he is. I'm not going to tell you anything."

"Wrong answer." Higuchi smirked, and punched the side of my head. I heard him laugh maniacally as I felt dizzy and passed out.

***********

"Watari." L said urgently, "Did Wedy get the surveillance cameras set up in Higuchi's car?"

There was a pause, and then the elderly man answered, "Yes. Did you need them up?"

"Yes, please set them up on the main screen and screens two and three."

The videos were then transferred to the large screen in front of the investigators, and they all saw that Higuchi's car was currently empty.

"They're not in there anymore!" Matsuda yelled excitedly.

"No, they're not." L said quietly, and turned up the sound on the speaker. They all listened intently and heard Higuchi saying something from outside of the car.

"I could make this easier for you…" they heard him say, "If you told me who and where L is, I can make your death so much less painful."

"Never."Adelynn answered, and there was silence.

"You know… killing you may be as entertaining as killing your father."

Everyone in the lobby froze, including L. Her father? She'd never mentioned him before; as far as L had researched, he was in America somewhere and out of Adelynn's life completely.

L heard as she tried ardently to refuse that she could very well be like her father; heard Higuchi's explanation of why he believed she should be. He had to try and keep himself calm as he literally heard the impact of Higuchi's fist to her head, and she said no more. She had most likely just blacked out, but the silence was incredibly daunting.

"Ryuuzaki, what are we going to do?" Light said, and L remained silent. "Ryuuzaki?"

There was certain reluctance in his voice as he said slowly, "If we played along with this, then we could determine his method of killing."

Everyone stared at him.

"What?" Matsuda said incredulously, "He could kill her!"

"No." L snapped, "He's not going to kill her. Not yet. If we can lure him out before he gets the chance, then we'll have him."

L hated himself for saying that, but he knew that if they all played this out correctly then they'd catch not only Higuchi but the way he has been killing for the past few months…

"Matsuda." L said slowly, "How far are you willing to go to help save Adelynn?"

"I…er…" He stuttered. Then, more confidently, he said, "Adelynn was willing to risk her life to help get me out of trouble, and I'm willing to do the same."

***********

I opened my eyes slowly, blinking against the sudden rush of bright light. My head was throbbing from where Higuchi had hit it, and I was glad to see that he was no longer paying any attention to me. Instead, he stood in the far corner of the room, talking angrily into his cell phone.

"What the Hell are you talking about, Namikawa?" He looked nervous but smirked even as he said, "It's probably just more tabloid crap from Sakura TV."

I listened intently to his conversation, trying to make out what was being said by Namikawa. Namikawa… Hadn't he been one of the eight Yotsuba members attending the meetings…?

Higuchi's face went from slightly nervous to deathly pale as he said, "What?" and ran to his car. He threw open the door and started the engine, and at the same time switched on a mini TV in the center console. He tuned the channel to Sakura TV. I could only see blurred shapes from where I was tied, but I could hear what was being said clearly.

"How could he know that?" Higuchi said nervously when a hidden speaker announced that he'd tell everyone who the real Kira is at the end of the show. "Who is this guy?" He hung up his cell phone hurriedly, and watched the screen.

Through the speaker I could hear an oddly distorted voice saying, "Well, after faking my death and doing some investigating of my own, I found that Kira needs two things to kill. And he only has one of those needed to kill me."

Faked his death? And this person knows that Kira can kill with two things; a name and a face… I gasped. Matsuda! Just then, I heard a crash come from the speaker and saw that the screen hiding the speaking figure had been accidentally knocked down. My heart stopped when I saw that it really was Matsuda, his face frozen with shock and fear. Higuchi's eyes widened, and he turned to me with a furious look on his face.

"You knew he was alive, didn't you?" He barked, and stormed over to me. "What's Matsui's real name?"  
I closed my eyes resolutely and turned my head away from him.

"Last chance, Adelynn." He grabbed my shoulders roughly, "Tell me his name."

I looked him square in the eyes and said, "No."

Higuchi growled ferociously and kicked the chair I was tied to. It tipped over, and as it neared the floor I hit my head on the cement and was momentarily dazed. The splitting headache had come back, and I saw stars dancing in my eyes. I had landed awkwardly on my leg, and as it was twisted one way it began to throb painfully.

Higuchi walked up next to my overturned chair, his feet stopping near the top of my head. He smiled sadistically as he kicked my stomach, knocking the wind out of my lungs. "Tell me," he kicked again, "his name." He sent another blow to my stomach, this time with so much force that the chair flipped over and I was lying on my back. I tasted blood in my mouth and coughed, trying to spit it out. My head was spinning wildly and it was all I could do to keep myself from passing out. I tried to pull myself together as he stood over me, grinning as he watched me wince in pain.

"If you're not going to tell me who he really is, then I'll just have to ask our dear Misa." He whipped out his cell phone and dialed her number quickly, holding it to his ear. It went to voice mail and he yelled, frustrated, and dialed a new number.

"Mochi, where's Misa?" He asked, and watched his expression change from curiosity to frustration and then said, "Taro Matsui. Know him? That's not his real name, is it?"

There was the buzz of Mogi/Mochi's voice as he replied, and Higuchi yelled, "But you have to know his name! You're the one who took his place!"

As Higuchi argued with Mogi on the phone, I turned my head to try and see the TV screen. Matsuda's face had once again been hidden, and I hoped desperately that Higuchi wouldn't find out his real name. I stared at the screen, and suddenly felt angry at the young investigator. What the Hell was he thinking? He'd get himself killed! How could L let him be put in so much danger? I couldn't help but feel betrayed; they must have noticed I was gone by now. Did they even care?

I was startled out of my thoughts as I heard Higuchi snap his phone shut and walk quickly towards me. I yelled out in pain as he grabbed me by the hair and pulled me upwards. He took out a pocket knife and cut the ropes tying me to the chair, not caring as his hand slipped and he cut deeply into my upper arm. I could feel the warm blood trickling down my arm as he dragged me over to his car and tossed me once again into the backseat. My feet were still tied together, so I could do nothing but sit still and wait.

"Don't move, or I will kill you," he warned as he got in and started the engine of the car.

"Wh-where are we going?" I asked through gritted teeth, trying not to let my pain show on my face.

"I am going to find Taro Matsui's real name." He laughed insanely, "And then I'll let you watch him die, for real this time."

My face paled. 'Not Matsuda…'

He drove quickly down the dark streets, and I watched as the buildings flashed by. I tried to think of a way to get out of this situation, but could come up with nothing. Now I would die… and Matsuda too. I was furious at this thought; L couldn't let Matsuda die this way. There must be a reason they're all being so reckless…

A few minutes later, Higuchi stopped at a large white building that looked deserted. He looked back at me and said, "You will stay here, and if I come back and see you've moved even an inch from that spot, I'll kill you right here and now." There was no doubt in his voice or eyes, and after a moment I nodded solemnly. He grabbed his briefcase and pocketed a gun, a smirk once again on his cruel face.

He disappeared into the building, and minutes later emerged with a triumphant gleam in his eyes. He was holding a thin black notebook in his hand, and as he got in, he looked intently at the TV screen.

"Any second now…" he murmured excitedly.

"Five, four, three, two…" Higuchi's smirk vanished as he saw Matsuda's hidden figure still talking, apparently unharmed, and he yelled out, "Why isn't he dead?!"

I sighed in relief; thank goodness Matsuda wasn't hurt… But, how could he have been, anyway?

"Rem, what are my options?" He blurted out suddenly, and I gave him an odd look. Rem? He's not talking on his phone; and I'm the only other person in the car… Who's he talking to? Is he going crazy? He seemed to be listening intently to something, and then his brow furrowed in concentration. He closed his eyes, and once he reopened them they were determined, and absolutely terrifying.

"Rem…" he muttered, "I make the trade."

His eyes changed from a dark brown color to scarlet red, and a wide grin crossed his face. "Now... I'm invincible." He said triumphantly, and laughed maniacally.

I saw him glance at me in his rearview mirror, and I cringed away from his frightening gaze. What had just happened?

He revved the engine and sped off down the road, the tires squeaking noisily as he quickly turned many sharp corners. Suddenly, I heard sirens from behind the car, and saw the flashing lights of a police motorcycle.

"Shit!" Higuchi yelled, and began to slow down. He tossed the thin black notebook into the seat next to me after tearing out a piece of it and hiding it in his briefcase. He sent me a warning glance, and I dared not defy this terrifying man. The officer tapped on Higuchi's window, and he rolled it down, grinning devilishly.

"Let me see your license," the officer said, "You were speeding."

Higuchi sighed. "Now, where did I put it…?"

I saw him open his briefcase and cast a sideways look at the cop, glancing right above the man's head. He began scribbling something down on the paper he'd torn out, and I looked at him quizzically. What was he doing?

I moved slightly to the side to get a better look, and bumped into the slender black notebook lying next to me. An electric current coursed through my body, and I shuddered. I looked to the notebook, and screamed loudly as I saw a hideous skeletal monster sitting next to me with a weird look on its face.

"What was that?" The cop glanced in the back and saw me. "Hey, why's she tied up back there?"

Higuchi had a smug grin on his face and stopped writing. The officer made a grab for his gun, but stopped suddenly and clutched at his chest, yelling out in pain. He collapsed right next to the car, and Higuchi sped off, cackling madly.

I screamed again as the monster sitting next to me reached out a hand to pick up the notebook, and Higuchi yelled, "Shut up!"

I shut my mouth, terrified of both creatures, and stared at the hideous thing next to me. Its body was like a giant skeleton, with purple hair and a single golden earring. It had pointed claws and sharp canine teeth, and sat hunched forward. It looked as if it had wings; but they were folded back and looked to be just bones. I cringed away from the ghastly thing, and tried not to look at it. What the Hell was happening? Was this the Rem that Higuchi had been referring to?

Higuchi glanced to the TV screen and we both saw that Sakura TV had gone off air. "What?" he snapped, and switched the TV off.

Just then, patrol cars could be seen up ahead on the highway, and looking back, I could see there were more in pursuit behind us.

"God damn it!" Higuchi yelled, grinding his teeth nervously, "So this **was **a trap!"

The tires of Higuchi's car were blown out by bullets fired from a helicopter above us, and the vehicle began to spin out. I shrieked in fright and clung to the side door, shutting my eyes tight. Higuchi yelled and slammed on the brakes. The car came to a complete stop, and the only thing I could hear was the sound of our ragged breathing and the sirens of the cop cars surrounding us. I thought my heart was going to literally explode, it was beating so rapidly.

Higuchi looked down at his lap, seemingly defeated, and then looked to me in his rearview mirror. He had a crazy gleam in his eyes as he crawled from his front seat to the one next to mine, and next to the monster. He didn't seem to mind it; he was more terrified of the police outside. "I heard a familiar voice from outside say, "Stop! Don't make another move!" and I froze as I saw Higuchi pull a gun out of his pocket and aim it at me.

"Come with me." Higuchi wrapped an arm around my neck and pushed the gun into my gut, his finger near the trigger. He pulled me roughly from the car, and I could do nothing or he'd surely shoot me.

The cold night air greeted us, and the sound of the sirens was deafening. Higuchi moved the gun from my stomach and held it to my head, keeping a firm grip around my neck with his arm.

"I'll shoot!" He yelled, and pressed the gun harder to my temple. I winced in pain, and looked at the crowd of police in front of us. They had all their guns drawn, and I saw they all had helmets hiding their faces, as they'd done when I'd been arrested. I saw the helicopter a few yards behind the cop cars, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw L standing next to it, with Light next to him. They both looked worried, and L's hands were balled up into fists at his sides. So they had been looking for me…? My eyes stung as they filled with tears, and I struggled to get away from the man holding me hostage.

"Stop that!" Higuchi yelled, and elbowed me hard in the stomach. I yelled out in pain and he pressed the gun harder to my head. "I'll shoot her!"

He glanced like a cornered animal at the many around us, and I screamed as I heard a lone gun shot. Higuchi's gun flew out of his hand, and he shouted out in pain. He released my neck and clutched at his hand, which had a deep bullet wound in the middle of it. I stood there, and in a sudden burst of adrenaline kicked him as hard as I could in the groin and darted off in the direction of the helicopter.

The police began to close in on Higuchi, all shouting orders at once, and I pushed past them, trying to get far away from the horrid man. I saw L and ran towards him, not having to think as I wrapped my arms around his waste, and buried my face in his chest. I was surprised when he too wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer to him. I sighed in relief, and knew that I was going to be safe now.

"Ryuuzaki… thank you." I said, keeping my arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

L reached up a hand and stroked my head gently, "Are you hurt, Adelynn?"

"Not really…" I lied, trying not to wince as the events of the day caught up with me and my whole body began to throb painfully.

I heard shouts all around me as the police pointed their guns at Higuchi, telling him not to move, he was under arrest. I heard as they searched his car, and knew without turning around what was going to happen next…

The first man to touch the notebook screamed, terrified, and everyone stared at him oddly. Then another man took the notebook, and saw the monster standing next to Higuchi's car, a sneer on its face.

"What's going on?" Light said, and I refused to turn around or let go of L.

"It's the monster…" I said, and my body began to tremble. L's arms tightened around me as Light asked,

"Monster?"

"If you touch that… notebook, you'll see it."

L kept one arm around me as he had the notebook brought to him, and when he touched it he looked to the hideous thing and said, "Fascinating. Could that be our shinigami?" Looking back down at the notebook, he read, "Death Note…?"

Light looked at it curiously and asked, "Can I see it?"

L took one last glance at it, and then passed it to Light.

Light's reaction was not as composed as L's had been. As soon as he touched it, he yelled at the top of his lungs and looked as if he were in pain. L looked at him oddly, and said, "It's really not that scary, Light-kun."

Light calmed down and stared at the ground. I could've sworn that I saw a shadow cross his face, the ghost of a smirk gracing his lips.

"Yeah… sorry." He said swiftly, and passed the notebook back to L.

I looked at him curiously. Was it just me, or did he seem… different somehow? L was still staring at him, too, and I knew that he'd seen the same thing that I had.

"Adelynn," L said, turning to me, "How did you know about the shinigami?"

"Higuchi tossed the… Death Note in the back seat where I was. I touched the notebook, and then saw it." I shuddered.

"Interesting." He flipped through the pages of the notebook quickly and turned to the way back. "The human whose name is written in this note shall die… Is this what he's been using to kill all of those criminals?"

There was a frightened shout from behind us, and I froze. What now?

"Heart attack!" One of the police yelled, and I attempted to turn around. L held me in place, not allowing me to turn, and Light said,

"What the Hell?"

"Higuchi's dead…" L stated, and looked sideways at Light. "How could that be?"

I said quietly, "There's a new Kira now…"

"Yes, maybe."

I closed my eyes and heard an ambulance drive up, taking Higuchi's undoubtedly dead body away. I leaned against L, all of my energy gone. He noticed this, and said, "We should get you back to headquarters." When I was reluctant to let go of him, he chuckled and murmured, "It's fine. You're safe now," and led me to the helicopter.

**A/N: Well, I was really excited to get this part up. Tell me what you think!**

** Thanks for all the reviews/faves/alerts, hope you all liked this part as much as I did...**


	18. The Death Note pt 2

**Part Eighteen – The Death Note [II]**

I concentrated on the beating of the helicopter's blades against the dark night sky, trying to focus my thoughts on anything but the events of the last day and a half. L had requested that Watari drive us all back to headquarters and sat in the back with me, most likely because I seemed more comfortable around him than anyone else. Light sat in the seat directly in front of L, so that the handcuffs wouldn't be an issue. He was staring out of the window to his right, a far off look on his face. His reaction to the notebook still puzzled me, not because of the reaction itself but the subtle change that came with it. L had seen something, too. I was sure of that.

As I stared off into space, I saw L shift in his seat and grab the Death Note, and he began flipping through the pages. There was a concentrated look on his face as he read the first few pages, and then he snapped it shut quickly and stared pensively at the seat in front of him.

*******

When we arrived at headquarters, I got up quickly and hopped out of the helicopter. I realized that wasn't the best thing to do, however, as my left leg gave out on me and I fell to the ground.  
"Damn it," I muttered, and attempted to stand up. The leg that I'd fallen on when Higuchi had kicked the chair over was throbbing painfully, and every slight movement caused it to twinge angrily.

L held out his hand and helped me up, and then we began to walk into the building. After a few awkward moments, we were in the building and near the elevator. We stood there, waiting for it to reach the top floor, and my stomach lurched uneasily as I eyed the metal doors. I felt my old fear of elevators asserting itself, and I laughed uneasily, "Can we take the stairs?"

Light and L both looked at me as if I were crazy, and L said, "That wouldn't be very convenient, Adelynn. Especially with an injured leg."

I laughed nervously again, "Yeah. I guess you're right. Sorry."

My stomach did fearful flips as the elevator doors opened, and L had to almost literally drag me into it. I clung tightly to his arm, squeezing my eyes shut and holding my breath. As the elevator began to go down, I counted silently to ten, and heard the doors beginning to open as it came to a stop. I dashed out of the death trap despite my injured leg, dragging L and Light behind me.

"You okay?" Light asked, and I grinned sheepishly,

"Perfectly fine."

A few moments later we arrived at the lobby. As soon as I walked in, I heard a squeal and was tackled to the floor by an excited Misa.

"Oh, Adelynn-chan! Are you okay? I'm so glad you're safe!"

I got up, wincing slightly as I did so, and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. My leg just hurts a bit."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," I said, and limped over to my favorite black couch. Misa followed and sat down beside me, a sympathetic look on her face.

"Look what he did to your outfit," she said pityingly, noting the way it was ripped in many places. She then pointed to my upper right arm, her eyes wide, "Adelynn, what did he do to you?"

I looked down at my arm and saw the blood, now dried, from the deep cut Higuchi had given me. I shrugged slightly, "Cut me up a bit. Its fine, it doesn't hurt anymore."

Misa looked at me incredulously, but then sighed. "We should probably get that fixed up."

I nodded slowly, but didn't make any move to get up. There was silence from everyone for a few moments, and then I looked over to L, who was still standing a few feet away from the entrance with Light. L had the Death Note in his hand, and was staring blankly at the cover.

After a few more minutes, I yawned, tired, and Misa said, "You should probably get to bed…"

I shook my head quickly, trying to wake myself up, and said, "No, no. I'm fine. Really." Misa eyed me speculatively, undoubtedly noting my repetitive use of the word 'fine', but dropped the subject. I was grateful; I didn't want to go to sleep, not yet. I was afraid of what sleep would bring, what nightmares would come…

As if on cue, Watari entered the room with four cups of coffee, and I took mine quickly. I looked around the room and noted the absence of two investigators, "Where're Matsuda and Chief Yagami?"

L and Light crossed the room and sat in the chairs at the desk. L placed the notebook carefully in front of him, and turned to me, "They are both talking with Aizawa-san; he was the one who set up the police blockade on the highway, since we no longer work with the police force."

I was stunned. Aizawa? Really?

"They should be back shortly…" he said quietly, and turned to his laptop to type something in.

*******

Almost an hour later, Aizawa, Matsuda, and Chief Yagami walked through the entrance with tired looks on their faces. Matsuda walked up to me and said eagerly, "Are you okay?"

I nodded, "Yes. I'm fine. Thanks to you," I smirked, "thanks to all of you." I caught Aizawa's gaze and he nodded acknowledgingly in my direction.

Not much was said, besides welcoming both me and Aizawa back, and they got to work investigating the Death Note. Aizawa grabbed the notebook from the desk and flipped to the front cover. Everyone was deathly still as the first four rules were read,

"'Rule One: The human whose name is written in this note shall die.

"Rule Two: This note will not take effect unless the writer has the person's face in their mind when writing his/ her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name aren't affected.

"Rule Three: If the cause of death is written within forty seconds of writing the person's name, it will happen. If the cause of death is not specified the person will simply die of a heart attack.

"Rule Four: After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next six minutes and forty seconds.'"

Aizawa looked up from the Death Note and let everyone contemplate what he'd just read. No one moved; all of us were stunned. What kind of evil was this?

"That's horrible," I said quietly, and almost everyone nodded in agreement. "The person with this notebook would almost be literally unstoppable."

Light nodded again, a pensive look on his face. L's expression was impassive as he thoughtfully stirred his coffee. Aizawa cleared his throat as he flipped to the back cover, and again began,

"'Rule Five: If you make this note unusable by tearing it up or burning it, all the humans who have touched the note until then will die.

"Rule Six: If the person using the note fails to consecutively write names of people to be killed within thirteen days of each other, then the user will die.'" Aizawa closed the notebook quietly and put it down, directing his attention towards L, "That means that Light, Misa, and Adelynn are all innocent."

Matsuda and Misa both yelled at the same time, "Knew it!"

I blinked, confused. We're cleared? Just like that?

L must have been thinking the same thing I was, "Yes… that sure is convenient."

Misa turned to face L, "But… there's our evidence! You can't dispute that!" She crossed over to Light and grabbed his arm, "We're **not **Kira."

"Yeah, Ryuzaki, they've been under constant surveillance for months now, and Rule Six proves that they can't have been Kira!" Matsuda stood up determinedly, a wide grin on his face.

L sighed and stared at the screen in front of him. After a moment, he said, "I suppose that does clear all of you."

Misa squealed and hugged Light, "That means we're free, Light-kun!"

Light patted her head absentmindedly and faced L, "We're no longer suspects?" L nodded his head slowly, and Light continued, "That also means we're not required to stay in this building 24/7, correct? Ryuzaki, can we still stay here at headquarters to help with the investigation?"

L once again nodded, and said, "No, no one is obligated to continue staying here any longer. But of course, you are always welcome to help with the investigation."

Light smirked, "I guess that means we can remove these now?" He lifted his chained arm.

L brought a thumb to his lips and mumbled, "Yes, I believe so. Please accept my apologies for all the trouble."

Misa giggled and triumphantly said, "Finally!"

Watari walked in with a key then, and they removed the handcuffs. I looked from L to Light and back again. It looked so much different now that they weren't chained together. Better, but different…

Misa yawned, tired, and said, "Well, I'm off to bed."

She crossed over to the stairs and began walking up. When she reached the top, she turned around and yelled, "Glad you're safe, Adelynn-chan! Light, want to come to bed with me?"

Light looked startled and mumbled, "What are you talking about, Misa?"

Misa giggled, "Oh, that's right. We're saving that until after you've caught Kira. Don't be so shy, Light. Good night!"

"Yes, you don't have to be so shy, Light-kun." L mumbled seriously, and Light grimaced,

"I'm not."

"Why are you answering so seriously, Light?" L replied evenly, and I snickered. It was strange how the atmosphere had gone from completely tense to awkward in a matter of seconds.

Everyone was silent for about the hundredth time that night, and I was startled out of a dreamlike trance when L said, "There are other notebooks, correct, Shinigami?"

I looked at him curiously. Shinigami?

Just then, I heard Matsuda topple out of his chair and say, "W-what's that?"

The monster-like creature I'd seen earlier stepped out from the shadows, an impassive expression on its face. It seemed to float over to where L was sitting, and said to Matsuda, "I am Rem, from the shinigami realm. I follow whoever possesses the Death Note." Its voice was gravelly, and I could just barely tell that it must be a female. To L, she said, "Who knows? There may be; there may not be."

L turned around in his chair and faced Rem. "Are all rules the same?"

"I cannot say, but I believe they are."

I stared at the fearful creature standing next to L's seat. She wasn't as terrifying as I believed she'd been earlier, but she was still ominous looking enough to keep me away. She'd been with Higuchi, too; that wasn't something that made me particularly fond of her.

Hours passed as the investigators examined the Death Note, and L questioned Rem whenever was needed. I didn't really trust her, yet; I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach whenever I looked at her, and not from the fear I'd felt previously. The way she looked at L, and the way she looked at Light, was almost imperceptibly different. Almost imperceptible, but still noticeable if you looked hard enough. There seemed to be recognition in her eyes when she looked at Light, and that worried me. If L's suspicions that Light was Kira before were right, then this Rem could have met up with him at one point. But Light seemed determined not to look at the shinigami; he averted his eyes and concentrated solely on the notebook during the hours of examination.

I fell asleep sometime during the middle of this, and when I woke up the room was almost empty. My head spun as I stood up, and I tripped as I began to walk forward.

"Oops," I said to myself, trying to catch my balance.

"I see you're awake now, Adelynn."

I yelped in fright when I heard this, and stumbled once again. "You know, you really should warn someone before you scare the crap out of them like that."

I turned on my heel to face L, who was still sitting in his chair at the desk. There was an amused look on his face, and he said, "My apologies."

"It's fine…" I said quietly, and sat down in a chair next to his.

"You've said that a lot today," he stated, and I stared down at my feet, nodding slightly. "Are you sure that's the case?"

"Yes." I whispered, not looking up.

"I heard what Higuchi said to you, about your father. I'm sorry."

I looked up, startled, "How did you hear that?"

"Wedy set up cameras inside of Higuchi's car."

"Oh. Yeah."

"You didn't seem too upset when he told you."

I sighed, "No, I wasn't. Not really."

"That's strange. I'd figured that Higuchi killing the last remaining person in your family would be particularly upsetting to you. It would be upsetting to anyone."

"Well, the fact that Higuchi himself did it irks me. But my 'dad'," I spat out the word, "wasn't a… good person. He was a criminal, for lack of a better word. The reason I'm here now."

"How so?"

"I…" I shuffled my feet nervously, and looked up at L. I'd never told anyone this before, but he looked so sincerely interested that I said quietly, "He and my mom both lived in America. They got married right out of high school, when they found out that my mom was pregnant with me. It was a shotgun wedding of sorts. Soon after I was born, my dad began to show who he really was. He'd go out drinking with his friends and not return for days on end. Among other problems, he was abusive. He didn't put up with any slip-up, no matter how minor it was. I was taught at an early age to keep away from him; and my mom tried her best to keep me out of his reach. My mom lived with that for four years, miraculously, and probably would have even longer if my grandpa hadn't suddenly died."

I glanced back up at L, who was looking intently back at me. I felt self-conscious, not liking to talk about myself so much, and shifted in my seat uncomfortably. "My mom and dad left me with a babysitter when they went to the funeral. I guess the babysitter left me to my own devices, and I went snooping through some of my dad's stuff in his study. They got back early, and my dad saw me going through his drawers. He got really angry for some reason, and kicked me. My mom rushed over to help me, and then saw that some of his papers had information regarding drug dealings around the city, and there was a huge stash of money in his desk. From there… things got worse. I don't remember much; only that my dad made a lunge at me and my mom stepped in front of me and took the beating. I remember the babysitter cowering in the corner, and my dad threatening to kill her if she didn't 'get the hell out'. My mom attempted to calm him down, but he hit her and she began to fight back for the first time during her marriage. Eventually… she got away. She grabbed my grandma and some money and we left. For good."

When I finished, I blinked back the tears threatening to spill over. I'd never talked about this to anyone; not even really to my mom after she told me. I felt a bit better though, and looked back up at L. He looked sympathetic, and said, "Did your father ever try contacting you after that?"

I shook my head, "No. I don't think so. He just… disappeared."

"That must have been hard for you."

"No, not really. For the first time in four years, my mom was free. She actually began to live." I sighed, and closed my eyes. "And then… they were killed. And Higuchi killed my dad. What goes around comes around, right?"

I opened my eyes, and a lone tear trailed down my face. L reached up a hand and gently wiped it away, saying, "I believe I've heard that somewhere, yes." He dropped his hand slowly, and his dark eyes bored into mine, "I'm sorry for all that's happened to you; Higuchi should never have been given the opportunity to do what he did."

"It's not your fault. Don't worry." I whispered.

"If I'd been more careful, then this wouldn't have happened. It will never happen again. I'll make sure of that." The intensity and determination in his eyes and voice made my heart skip a beat, and I said,

"Thank you."

Silence fell between us then, and I stared blankly at the Death Note beside L. My thoughts were going in every direction, and I wondered vaguely if I should say something to keep him from brooding on the subject we'd just discussed. I was about to say something when L asked, "Why do you do that?"

I blinked, confused, and said, "Do what?"

L gestured to my hand, and I realized he meant the way I had been absentmindedly rubbing my forearm with my right hand. I averted my eyes and shrugged, "I dunno. Nervous habit, I guess."

I stopped as soon as he mentioned it, but he didn't drop the subject. He grabbed my left forearm with both of his hands, and pushed up the long black sleeve of my sweater. His wide eyes seemed to get even wider when he saw the white scars running along the length of my forearm; not on the main veins but close enough. "Why would you do this?" He said quietly, looking up at me. "Did you want to die?"

"No," I murmured, looking away, "I don't. Not now. Not even then. I just wanted to feel… something. Something other than the numbness I felt when mom and grandma died. I can't even say now how much I regret it…" I felt his long fingers tracing the path of the scars on my arm, and I looked down at him.

His head was bowed and I couldn't see his eyes as he said, "Please, promise me you will never do that again." I glanced off to my right, not sure what to say, and I jumped slightly when his cold hand caressed the side of my face. He turned it so I was staring directly into his dark eyes, face inches from his, "I almost lost you today, and I don't want to ever fear that happening again. Please… promise."

"Yes. I promise." I whispered breathlessly, and he leaned forward,

"Thank you," he murmured, and pressed his surprisingly warm lips to mine.

**--**

**A/N: The Death Note is finally in play, and our dear L and Adelynn are [sort of] together now. I've been very excited for you all to read this one. I hope you all enjoyed it.**

**R&R, please! Thanks :3**

**P.S.: Happy [late] Thanksgiving!**


	19. Not While I'm Around

**Part Nineteen – Not While I'm Around.**

I roamed the halls of the large building, stopping occasionally to glance in the spare rooms and walk slowly away. I was at a loss for what to do. I'd woken up much earlier than my usual eleven in the morning time; currently it was only eight. Every time I thought of what happened yesterday, my face flushed red and my heart skipped a beat. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to react now; but certainly not by looking too eager. I've known for a long time now how I've felt about L. I've known, but not admitted, not even to myself. But now I knew that he at least somewhat returned those feelings. I reached the stairwell and began absentmindedly walking towards the lobby, my thoughts still on L.

I was beyond surprised when he'd leaned in and kissed me. It was… impulsive, really. Not what I'd come to expect from the young detective. Although, I'm not complaining. 'So, Misa was right,' I smirked, 'For once.'

As I neared the lobby doors, my pulse began to quicken. What was I supposed to expect?

I stood outside the glass doors, slightly hesitant. The lobby looked almost empty. I thought it was until I looked to the black couch, and saw L sitting there, Rem standing a bit farther away from him. Light was sitting on the stairs near the entrance, staring at the floor.

Opening the doors quietly, I slipped into the lobby and made my way to the couch. L glanced up and nodded to me, smiling ever so slightly that I wasn't sure if he even had. He had the Death Note in his hands as I sat down beside him, and he said to Rem,

"Interesting. The corner on a page of the notebook has been torn off. Can you kill someone by just writing their name on that piece?"

Rem's expression didn't change as she answered, "I can't say; I've never tried using it like that, and I don't know anyone who has."

L looked unperturbed by this and asked instead, "Then let me ask you, do gods of death love apples?"

I was confused. Where'd that come from? Rem replied, "Not necessarily. You see, our internal organs are rotten and degraded. We've evolved to a point where we don't need sustenance."

I glanced to L, who was chewing on his thumb nail again, the tea cup on the table before him being empty. His strange habits never ceased to amuse me, from the way he was always eating sweets to the way he sat on his feet, palms on his knees. As I observed him, I tried mimicking his position, by sitting on my feet and staring pensively down at the floor. L looked at me oddly, and I tried shifting so that I was more comfortable. I tipped to the side and fell over, saying, "You know, you make that look a lot easier than it actually is."

L looked as if he were about to laugh, but instead he grabbed my hand and helped me up. "Thanks," I mumbled, feeling foolish. He brushed his hand lightly over mine once more before turning to Light.

"Say, Light, you're finally free to leave headquarters on your own, but it seems like you never go out." He said the statement innocently enough, but I could hear the ounce of suspicion behind it, "Even when Misa comes to visit, you only chat with her for a few minutes outside. You do realize that you're free to have a relationship with her now."

Light stood up and walked to the base of the stairs, "That can wait until we've managed to solve this case. I'm not in the mood for love or anything else right now." He smirked slightly and continued, "Anyway… are you suggesting that I'll be a nuisance staying here?"

L faced Light and said simply, "No. I just thought it odd that someone your age would want to be cooped up in here all day long. The same goes for you, Adelynn." He turned to me, and I shrugged.

No one spoke for a while after that, silence falling upon the lobby once again.

"Can I see the notebook?" I asked, breaking the quiet atmosphere. L nodded once, and handed the thin black book to me.

I scanned through the pages carefully, noting how delicate they all seemed. I wondered vaguely how old the notebook was, and then decided I really didn't want to know. I looked at the many names Higuchi had scribbled down during his possession of the Death Note, and I felt disgusted. So many lives taken… and all by one person's hand. 'The hand of God,' I thought absentmindedly, and shook my head. No. Kira is no God. He's a killer, and needs to be caught. I snapped the notebook shut and closed my eyes.

"Are you alright, Adelynn?" L inquired, and I nodded my head slowly. "You're not tired, are you? You're up quite a bit earlier than normal."

I blushed. So he had noticed? Of course he would. He's L. Averting my eyes, I murmured, "No, I'm fine. I just… couldn't sleep."

L dropped the subject, thankfully, and picked up the notebook I'd just put down. I looked around the room, and noted that Rem had left. 'Well, you can't expect a god of death to stay put forever,' I thought to myself.

Light had sat back down on the stairs, and was back to staring down at the floor. He stood up suddenly and said, "Ryuzaki, on second thought, I believe I will go out today."

L seemed surprised but said evenly, "Alright, Light-kun."

I glanced suspiciously at Light, whose face was just a bit too blank, too innocent. L didn't even look up at him, but was inspecting the Death Note thoroughly.

I watched as Light slipped out of the lobby, an all too smug expression on his face. A few seconds passed, and I sat up on the couch.

"I think I'm going to go out, too."

L looked up at me, "May I inquire as to where you are going?"

I shrugged. "Oh, nowhere."

His lips twitched upward as if he were about to smile, and he wrapped his long arms around my waist, pulling me to him. "Be safe." He murmured, and kissed my forehead. I buried my face in his chest and said,

"Safe? Me? No problem."

***********

I stepped out of the front doors, finally on my own after months of surveillance. The blue sky was as clear as could be, and the sunlight gently caressed my face. I walked quickly down the sidewalk, and spotted Light just a bit farther ahead of me. I kept a safe distance behind him, trying to look as innocent as possible.

I felt kind of uneasy about following him; how would I explain myself if I were caught? I didn't really know myself why I was doing this; I just had a feeling that Light was up to something. He hadn't left headquarters once since he was given the liberty to do so, and now he left with no serious explanation? I wouldn't have thought anything of it if it were anyone else, but Light's sudden change of attitude alarmed me. It was like the first day that I'd walked into the lobby, and had seen the cold, calculating glint in his eyes. And this time it wasn't going away.

I rounded a corner quickly, and saw Light stepping onto a bus. 'Damn,' I thought, 'I can't get on there without him seeing me…' The bus pulled slowly way, and I watched it make a left and keep going forward.

'What now?' I thought, slightly frustrated, and tapped my foot impatiently. I stood there thinking for a while, and then got an idea when I saw a sign with the list of bus stops. A crowd was already gathering at the bus stop, and I had to push through it to reach the sign. I scanned the list quickly, and the words 'To-Oh University' caught my eye. 'That isn't too far away from here,' I calculated the distance in my head, and figured that it would take me about ten minutes to walk there. 'Light and I both attended that university before we joined the Kira case; it's as good a place as any to start searching for him.' I shoved past the people in the crowd, and walked quickly in the direction the bus had just left.

There were about five minutes until I'd reach my old university when I heard a strange noise. I cocked my head to the side and listened intently. Was that the sound of… wings? The flapping noise seemed to get closer and closer, and I looked up to the sky. My heart stopped when I saw Rem flying forward at a fast pace, a grim look upon her already serious face. I glanced at the people walking around me, and none of them seemed to notice the shinigami woman. 'Oh right,' I thought, 'Only the people who have touched the Death Note can see her…' I watched her fly until she disappeared amongst the tall buildings. I began walking again, this time quicker and with renewed purpose. It couldn't be a coincidence, both Light and Rem leaving headquarters at nearly the same time. What were they up to?

I reached the university quicker than I'd expected, and began my search for Light and rem. Roaming the grounds brought back memories of before I'd been arrested, when things were so much simpler. Looking back, I didn't really regret not being able to finish here at the university. I'd been able to be involved in something much more important; and now I knew L. I couldn't really imagine my life being any different.

Suddenly, I froze. At the end of the courtyard I was searching were Light and Rem, sitting at the same table that L and I had sat at so many months previously.

I quickly dashed behind a cluster of trees off to the side, and then very carefully made my way to where Light and Rem were talking. I stopped a few yards away from them, hiding behind a tall bush. I watched them both talk to each other, my heart beating frantically. I knew they were up to something!

Light was sitting at the table, a malevolent glint in his eyes. Rem was standing across from him, her face full of undeniable loathing. My curiosity was getting the best of me, and I listened in eagerly,

"You have the power to end this, you know," Light said cruelly to the female shinigami, "End her suffering."

"What you're asking me to do, Light Yagami, is beyond horrible. Now you are willing to stop at nothing to reach your goal. You have strayed far from your original path." Rem's cold voice sent chills down my spine, and I shivered. The way she spoke to him was with the most fearsome hatred I had ever heard, and I wondered what they could have been talking about. If it was so horrible as to make a god of death furious, then I wasn't sure I actually wanted to know.

"I have not strayed from my path. I've known all along that we'd be here right now. But the outcome is up to you." Light's face darkened, and a cruel smile graced his features, "Who's it going to be, Rem? L… or her?"

I listened intently for the shinigami's answer, and almost shrieked when Rem suddenly unfolded her skeletal wings. She said in a terrifying voice, "You are truly a sick man, Light Yagami." and took off, flying fast in the direction of headquarters.

Light made no effort to get up, and I sat there, stunned. What had that been about? If only I'd been there just a bit earlier, I might have been able to catch who and what they were talking about. Even though none of it made any sense to me, I felt terrified. I thought back on Light's words, 'Who's it going to be? L… or her?', and wondered briefly who he'd been referring to. He'd referred to L, of course, but 'her'? Light said that Rem could end her suffering, and that also puzzled me. At first I thought they had meant Misa, but I hadn't thought that the model was suffering. How could she be? She was happily conducting a life outside of headquarters now, and still seeing Light. So the only other option was… me.

Another thing about their conversation was the way Light made it seem like Rem had to choose a side, decide which team to play for. I shivered involuntarily as the phrase 'good vs. evil' popped into my mind. I shook my head vigorously to try and keep my thoughts straight. Light and Rem's exchange made no sense to me, yet I knew it must be pertaining to the Kira case. L had previously believed that Light was Kira… and I was willing to bet he still did. I took one last look at the smug Light Yagami before retreating and making my way stealthily back to headquarters.

***********

"Ryuzaki." I said urgently, walking into the lobby. "Ryuzaki?" The lobby was apparently empty, and I stood there, wondering where he could be. I sighed, thinking that I should probably go check the kitchen, and spun around. Before I could take a step forward, however, L's arms wrapped around me and I gasped, "When did you get there?"

"I just walked in… sorry if I startled you." He released me and I grabbed his hand, not wanting to break contact. His face softened, and he led me over to the couch. "You're back earlier than I expected."

"Yeah, I wanted to… to ask you something." He didn't say anything, so I asked, "Do you still believe that Light is Kira?"

He didn't answer me at first, a blank look on his face. After a moment he said slowly, "I used to suspect that Light-kun was Kira. Everything in this investigation had hinted at that fact, and my beliefs are usually never wrong. But… the evidence clearly states that you, Light, or Misa couldn't have been Kira at any time. So to answer your question, no. I do not." I wasn't expecting him to answer so simply and without doubt, and I second guessed my own suspicion. Maybe I over reacted when I heard Light and Rem talking? L glanced at me thoughtfully, "Why do you ask?"

I thought for a moment before saying, "When I left to go out today… I followed Light."

L almost grinned, "I knew you were up to something."

"I wasn't up to anything! Light and that creepy shinigami were!"

L seemed to freeze up, "The shinigami?"

I nodded. "Yes. Light and Rem met up at my old university, and they were talking about… something."

"What were they talking about?"

"I'm not exactly sure… Light said something about Rem being able to end someone's suffering, and that she needed to choose a side for something." I stared at the ground, "Rem was pretty upset. Light was really pushing it, with the way he was talking to her. He didn't seem to fear her, not at all."

I looked up at L, to see if he had any idea of what was going on.

"Light mentioned you. He asked Rem, 'Who's it going to be? L… or her?'" I noted the flash of sudden comprehension in his eyes, and then continued, "Rem said that she believed Light has strayed from his original path."

L looked away from me and said, "Who were they referring to, besides me?"

I shook my head, "I dunno. They didn't say her name. At first I thought they were talking about Misa, but how could she be suffering? She has everything she wants. And that only leaves…"

"You?" I nodded my head slowly.

"Ryuzaki…" He didn't look back at me, and I said, "L."

He turned his head slowly, no emotion on his face at all as I said, "Do you really believe that Light can't have been Kira? That he's still not Kira? Even after what I've told you, and what you've thought from the very start?"

L paused, and then said firmly, "Yes. All the evidence points towards his innocence. The thirteen day rule clears all of you."

"Yes, well, that's pretty damn convenient, isn't it?" I said, frustrated. "You didn't need any evidence when we didn't have the Death Note. You just knew. What happened to that?"

"Adelynn." L said determinedly, "Light Yagami is innocent. I am one hundred percent certain that he was not, and is not, Kira."

I sighed and looked away, not wanting to believe him. His eyes had held no doubt, and yet I kept trying to convince myself that he was wrong. But how could he be? He was L, the famous detective, who was almost never wrong.

Almost.

L lifted the hand that wasn't holding mine to turn my face towards his, "Why are you so set on Light being Kira?" His dark eyes bored into mine, "He can't hurt you. I won't let him."

"It's not me I'm worried about," I said quietly, not able to pry my gaze from his, "I'm worried about you."

He sighed and stroked the side of my face gently, resting his forehead against mine, "You don't need to worry about me. If Light had been Kira, I would have already been dead."

"I hope you're right," I whispered, still not entirely convinced.

"I usually am." He took my face between his hands and kissed me then, slowly at first but then stronger and more fervently. I threw my arms around his neck as he wrapped an arm around my waist, our breathing rapidly turning into panting. He kept one hand tangled in my hair as I kissed him back, quickly forgetting any and all of my previous worries.

I couldn't tell how much time had passed before he pulled back, breathing rather raggedly and staring deep into my eyes, "No one's going to hurt you. Not while I'm around," he promised, and hugged me to his chest. He stroked my hair gently, and it wasn't long until I'd fallen asleep in his arms.

**--**

**A/N: :3 Figured I'd put something rather cute at the end. Not to lull you into a false sense of security or anything. -insert shifty ninja eyes here-**

**What do you all think of this one?**

**Oh, and just so you know, I got this chapter's title from Sweeney Todd. I've always thought the song, 'Not While I'm Around', was extremely adorable. It's one of my favorites, and I thought it'd fit perfectly with this part.**

**Once again, thanks for all the reviews and faves/ alerts! I'm glad so many of you seem to like this story, you guys are the reason I keep on writing. Expect an update soon! **

**-Sydney.**


	20. Desperation

**A/N: 1st person = Adelynn**

**3rd person = L**

********* indicate that the point of view is changing, for this chapter.**

**Enjoy! ^_^**

**Part Twenty - Desperation**

Things didn't look so meaningless now that there was something to look forward to everyday. Not something… but someone. _The _someone. As the dark-haired detective took a rather large bite of his chocolate cake, he smirked to himself. These thoughts weren't like him, not at all. Even the small, nearly hidden smirk adorning his pale features was uncharacteristic, and he quickly covered it with his usual apathetic mask. The Kira case before this someone had been brought into it had been just a game; a puzzle that only he, L, could solve. A game of cat and mouse, among possibly the most clever minds in the world: Kira and L. But now, it wasn't just a battle of wits. Now it was a race to save the one that mattered to him the most. L had had nothing to lose before this case began; and now, he could lose everything.

Light Yagami was, and is, Kira. There was absolutely no doubt about that. From what Adelynn had told him the other day, L was certain that whatever powers Light had lost previously had returned, and he was in grave danger. How else could Light and the shinigami's meeting be explained?

Adelynn had thought that L was in danger and was only worried for him. It didn't concern her that her life could be the one in peril…

L slammed his fist on the table before him, and the sound echoed throughout the empty lobby.

No. She wasn't going to get hurt. Not if he had any say in it.

But, to keep her safe, he knew he'd have to leave.

Forever.

Of course, this would inevitably hurt her, too. But it'd help her in the long run. She'd be safe, and alive. The pain would eventually lessen, and she could go on with her life. L would gladly die to ensure that for her. After all, she'd gotten on well without her mother or grandmother. Why would he be any different?

********

I was in an abandoned warehouse, the only source of light being that of the moon streaming in through the gaps of boarded-up windows. There was a steady dripping noise coming from somewhere to my left, and amongst it I heard a whimper. I whipped my head around to try and locate where the noise had come from, and then heard the click of a gun. I stood frozen to the spot, and thought, 'No, not again.' A few feet in front of me was a man with a long scar running down one side of his face aiming a gun at two familiar figures. "Adelynn, run…" the taller of the two figures yelled, and the man pulled the trigger.

"Mom!" I screamed, as her body crumpled and landed on the pavement. He pulled the trigger once more, and my grandmother fell in a heap to the floor. I tried to move forward to go to them, but my weak knees gave out on me.

I lay there, hugging my knees and trembling uncontrollably, as the murderer took a step towards me. I tried to move but couldn't, frozen as I was with fear, and I squeezed my eyes shut. A few moments later, I briefly heard the clack of the gun as it hit the floor, and the murderer dropped dead of a heart attack.

*******

L had finished his cake and was now scanning through the delicate pages of the Death Note, trying to figure out some way to prove that he'd been right all along: Light **was** Kira. The thirteen day rule was the rule that vindicated him of all suspicion; but that was just too coincidental. If only there was some way to test the rule, to see if it was a fake… Seeing as Light Yagami was Kira before, he could've written it as a way to throw off the case. L had concluded that there were two or more notebooks; and Rem's meeting with Light had implied that they'd known each other previously. Who's to say that the shinigami wasn't helping Light back then?

The young detective looked to the many screens before him, and found the one of Adelynn's room. She was asleep now; and it was surprising how peaceful she looked. She wouldn't let anyone see her look as vulnerable as she was now, she normally didn't like showing weakness. But she seemed to be relaxing more and more as time progressed, and L felt slightly smug that he was the only one she'd open up to.

Adelynn began to mumble something unintelligible then, and a worried expression overtook her calm features. She shook her head once in her sleep, and cried out, obviously having a nightmare. A few moments passed, and she cried out again.

A wave of mixed emotions hit the young man then, and he had to marvel again at the fact that he'd never before been so moved by one lone person. Had anyone but himself been in the room, he would've gone straight back to whatever he'd been doing previously, all the while battling the overwhelming urge to go and help her. But seeing as he was quite alone at the moment, he got out of his chair by the desk and began his walk up to the ninth floor.

*******

I heard a low chuckle and turned to see Higuchi standing there with a malevolent smirk upon his face. My face paled. I thought he was dead!

"Not everything's as it seems," he said, as if reading my thoughts, and aimed a gun at my head.

I barely had time to register that Kira wouldn't need a gun to kill me, when Higuchi pulled the trigger. I was yanked backwards quickly, and someone jumped in front of me. I watched as my savior took the bullet and crumpled to the floor.

L's lifeless body lay at my feet, and I stood there dumbly, uncomprehending. Ryuzaki… my L… dead? I looked to Higuchi, who was grinning with his eyebrows raised questioningly. He laughed maniacally as I stared despairingly at the man who'd just died for me, and I was enraged.

I charged at Higuchi and punched him as hard as I could across the face, and he stumbled backwards in shock. As I got ready to go at him once more, he recovered and grabbed my wrists, spinning me around like a rag doll. My back was to him as he leaned his head forward and pressed the cool metal of a blade against my throat.

"You were such a good actress." He sneered, and I screamed as he pressed the metal blade harder into my skin.

*******

L walked quietly into the sleeping Adelynn's room and shut the door gently behind him. There was hardly any light now, except the small amount of moon light coming in through a crack in the black curtains. He made his way over to where she slept, dodging the dark silhouettes of chairs and her desk. When he reached her, he stood there awkwardly, not quite sure what he should do. The silver light of the moon seemed to illuminate her pale white face, making her look even more beautiful than he'd seen her yet. His heart lurched at the thought of what could happen to him soon; the thought of leaving her alone was almost unbearable. But, even though it pained him, he knew he could be gone in a short while. She'd move on, she'd have to…

Adelynn startled him out of his thoughts by mumbling "Not L…" and something else he couldn't quite make out. She said his name so clearly that at first he'd thought she was awake, but then she slept on, a worried look on her face. L unthinkingly reached out a hand and brushed his fingertips along the side of her face, and kneeled down beside her bed. Her eyes snapped open then, and she shouted, "No!" and clutched at her throat. L reached out instinctively to try and calm the half-asleep girl, but that seemed to frighten her even more. She grabbed his wrists and was surprisingly able to drag him to her, all the while shouting, "You killed him! You killed him!"

L was briefly shocked by her reaction, but soon recovered and tried to stop Adelynn attacking him. He managed to pin her arms to her sides and then lay on top of her, to keep her from kicking him.

"Adelynn, you're alright," he said, still recovering from the suddenness of the attack, "It's just me."

Adelynn's expression then was almost enough to make him laugh, from the way it progressed from frightened to understanding to shock and then finally embarrassed in a matter of seconds. She grinned meekly and murmured, "Sorry."

L made no attempt to move from the slightly suggestive position they were in and said quietly, "I believe we've been here before." He'd been referring to the first time that they had ever actually talked, when they'd run into each other in the hall. If L remembered correctly, she'd attacked him then, too.

"Yes, I believe we have…" she replied, her face reddening slightly.

"What were you dreaming?" He asked, and she closed her eyes.

"Nothing really. Just another nightmare."

"Another?" L wondered briefly if these were regular occurrences, and said, "Did it by any chance involve Higuchi?"

Adelynn sighed, "Yes. Partly." She opened her eyes slowly, and said carefully, "You know… if you weren't here, I don't know what I would do."

Her voice trembled slightly as she said, "Please don't leave me."

L hoped beyond all belief that she couldn't see the doubt or hopelessness in his eyes as she'd said that. After all, he'd been so good at hiding his emotions before…

He leaned his head down and kissed her softly, not able to lie and tell her that he'd always be there. He knew that their time together was growing short, and hated that he would be gone from her soon. He wanted her to be the last thing he saw before he died…

Adelynn seemed to sense that he was worried, and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back in earnest. One of L's hands tangled in her hair, and the other was stroking one side of her face gently. He rolled their bodies around so that Adelynn was lying on top of him, both of their hearts beating rapidly. There was a certain desperation in the way L kissed her, and despite the ever freezing air of the building, his body began to rapidly heat up. They both pulled back for air after a few more moments, and L hugged Adelynn tight to his chest. He pressed his lips to her hair and held her close, hoping desperately that there could be some way that he could be mistaken, and he would never have to leave her.

**--**

**A/N: Alright, this one's a bit shorter than usual. My apologies. But that just means that the next one may be a bit longer. And might be up a bit quicker. So, hopefully you'll all like it! I'm working on part twenty-one as we speak. (Or... read. Heh.)**

**-Sydney :3**


	21. I Hear the Bells

**Part Twenty- One – 'I Hear the Bells'**

'Must it be today? The day I die…'

It's all for the best. L believed that wholeheartedly.

Sure, he was afraid of what his death would bring.

But… it would keep her safe.

And no matter what, Kira would be caught.

Light Yagami will not win.

'The bells… the ever-ringing bells…'

***********

When I woke up the next morning, L was gone. That much was to be expected, really; the man never seemed to sleep. I was glad he'd stayed with me, especially after I'd blindly attacked him.

I could tell that it was raining outside; I could hear it drumming angrily against the windows. I sat up slowly and yawned, thinking of the strange detective. I wondered what he'd been thinking as I'd fallen asleep in his arms, fears momentarily deterred by his presence. He'd seemed a bit worried about something, but I figured he'd just been tense about the case. He'd probably worked it out by now, at any rate…

I hopped out of bed and crossed over to the closet, grabbing the nearest sweater and pair of pants that I could find. My mind was on auto-pilot as I changed out of my pajamas, and once finished, found myself rummaging through the drawers of the desk right outside of the closet. I pulled out one of my old journals and flipped through the pages, glancing briefly at the messy scrawl that made up the entries. I smirked slightly and placed the notebook on the top of the desk, making a mental note to read it once I got the chance. It would be interesting to relive what I used to believe was my life; to see how my views had changed.

I hummed contentedly to myself as I walked down to the lobby, my mood better than it'd been in a long while. I reached the stairwell and began my descent, pausing only slightly as I passed floor number seven: Misa Amane's previous place of residence. I grinned as I remembered her walking into the lobby and sitting on Light's lap, earning her a bewildered and embarrassed look from the bronze-haired man. I almost laughed as I thought of the reception I'd get if I tried that on L, but then I had to think again. He never really seemed to do what anyone expected. Although… I certainly wasn't going to try it, anyway. I wasn't sure of whether or not L wanted the other investigators to know about us yet or not, and I hadn't asked him. I never seemed to think quite clearly when I was around him…

I absentmindedly made the rest my way to the lobby, and pushed past the glass doors. I crossed over to the desk and sat down, noting from the clock on the wall that it was about nine thirty. I glanced swiftly to my right and noted that L wasn't there; it was just Light, Aizawa, Chief Yagami, and Matsuda. Ide, the man who'd helped Aizawa set up the police blockade when they'd captured Higuchi, wasn't present. I'd never really seen much of him, except for a few times after I'd been rescued; and even then it was only for a few minutes at a time.

I rested my head on the table, not sure of what to do next. I don't believe I'd ever been in the lobby without L in there, too, and I felt a bit out of place. I sat there patiently for a while, and then spotted the Death Note lying on the opposite end of the desk I was at. Just seeing it lie there sent a feeling of unease through my body, and I wondered where the shinigami, Rem, had gone. It made me feel nervous that no one, not even L, could be able to keep an eye on the shinigami at all times, especially after I'd witnessed her and Light's conversation a few days earlier. Needless to say, I didn't feel comfortable around either of the two, not at all.

Matsuda had been half asleep when I'd arrived at the lobby, and he now looked up, a tired expression on his face. "Oh, hello Adelynn… when'd you get here?" He sat up and yawned, and I grinned. What a professional. Matsuda glanced over at Light and Chief Yagami, blinked, and then said, "Where's Ryuzaki-san? He was here just a little bit ago…"

Light shifted slightly in his seat and said in a bored tone, "He left about an hour ago, I believe. He seemed a bit distant. More so than usual." He smirked, and I had to force myself not to roll my eyes. My dislike of the young investigator seemed to be growing more steadily each passing day.

Not much seemed to be getting done at the moment, and I sighed, bored out of my mind. What now? I stood up and walked silently out of the lobby, deciding I'd go and search for L.

I walked through the halls of the building, making sure to stop and look in the kitchen first, but hadn't seen any trace of him by the time I reached my floor. I stood in the stairwell by the entrance, tapping my foot and debating on where to go next. I hadn't ventured much in any of the floors above mine, and for some reason felt uneasy about searching them now. I shrugged that feeling off, however, and walked at a slightly quicker pace into the next hallway.

I wasn't completely sure how much time had passed as I searched the various floors of the building, but I hadn't been greeted with anything new. I was going to give up after a few more minutes of searching, but then stumbled across a room that wasn't quite like the others. It was filled with various electronic devices, the walls were light gray instead of the regular blue, and was tiled instead of carpeted. It was also a lot larger than the others, and I stepped into it, curious. I walked slowly past a few monitors that looked to be hooked up to surveillance, and saw the lobby I'd been in earlier. Nothing much had changed, except that Light was now typing in something on the computer before him.

The other screens were full of videos of other parts of the building, and I quickly scanned them, looking for L. There were so many monitors switching screens all at once that I gave up and turned around, preparing to leave.

I took a few steps towards the door when I heard a familiar voice say, "Good afternoon, Adelynn."

"Oh!" I half-yelped in fright, and spun around. An elderly man with gray hair and kind eyes sat in a chair in a far corner of the room that I'd overlooked, and I said, "Hello, Watari-san. I was just, uh, looking for Ryuzaki. Sorry to disturb you."

Watari chuckled, and motioned to a seat near him. I sat down in it, happy to see him again. Like Ide, I had only seen Watari a few times; but I really did like him.

"That's quite alright, Adelynn. I believe Ryuzaki is up on the roof presently."

I looked at him quizzically, "Really? That's odd. I don't think I've ever seen him anywhere but the lobby." I grinned, adding as an afterthought, "And the kitchen."

Watari smiled politely, but said somewhat glumly, "Yes, well, I daresay he's not feeling quite like himself today."

This piqued my curiosity, "Why is that?"

The elderly man looked away for a moment, and said, "I don't believe I'm at liberty to discuss these matters freely."

I nodded to show that I understood why, and said somewhat deviously, "Oh. I see. I guess I'll go talk to him, then."

Watari chuckled again, a humorous light dancing in his eyes, "I'm sure he'd appreciate that."

I smiled at him. There was something about him that made me feel at home whenever he was around, kind of like he was the fatherly figure I'd never had. I was glad to have met someone like him.

"Adelynn, if you don't mind my asking, what are your plans for once this case is over?"

This question caught me off guard, and I said automatically, "I dunno." I paused for a moment, trying to think of a reasonable response, "I haven't thought that far ahead. I can't imagine, or want, my life to be any different than it is now."

I grinned at him apologetically and said, "I guess I should be thinking of the future now, though. When Ryuzaki catches Kira, things will inevitably change…"

"Yes, they will." Watari agreed softly, "But only time will tell."

I wondered vaguely why he'd asked me this now; but thought better than to ask. He must have his reasons.

"I suppose," I replied, and stood up, "Well, I guess I should get going now… Thank you, Watari-san."

Watari nodded, and said as I turned to go, "Adelynn?" I swiveled around again and looked to him. He seemed to be picking his words carefully as he said, "When you figure out what to do once this case is over, don't forget to look back and see how things have changed. If you can figure out your next course of action then, the rest will work itself out for you."

I nodded slowly, trying to figure out exactly what he meant, and said, "Alright. See you, Watari-san."

"Good-bye, Adelynn."

I walked out of the control room, and stood outside the door for a moment. I was glad that I'd been able to see Watari again, but slightly alarmed by what he'd said about L. At least I knew where to look for him, though, and I started over to the stairwell. I quickly traveled the many flights of stairs that led to the roof, still refusing to take the elevator, and soon ended up right outside of the exit.

There was barely any light in this hallway, except for the red glow coming from the small 'exit' sing above the doorway. It made the hallway seem extremely eerie, and the rain beating on the door from outside didn't make things any less ominous. I wondered if L really was out there, with the weather so dismal, but decided to trust Watari's information. I pushed open the heavy metal door, and cringed back against the shower of rain that greeted me.

Glad that I'd brought a hooded sweater with me, I put up the hood and stepped out into the freezing downpour. At first I couldn't find him, with the rain obstructing my vision, and the strong winds blew my hood back down. I moved farther out on the roof, and soon enough I saw the slightly hunched over figure of the dark-haired detective. I sighed in relief when I saw him; I wasn't sure I'd be able to find him if the weather had gotten much worse.

"Ryuzaki!" I yelled, seeing if I could get his attention. He didn't hear me, and so I tried again, "Ryuzaki!"

Again, I got no response.

The rain beat down in an unrelenting torrent as he and I stood there. He was staring up at the sky, his hands buried in his pockets. He didn't seem to take notice of me, so I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. Startled, he half-smiled down at me, and circled his arm around my shoulder. He looked back up to the sky, a far away look on his face. His unruly black hair fell in his eyes, water dripping from the tips. It was freezing out here in the rain, and I felt his arm tighten around me when I shivered. I looked up at him, and he was looking down at me, a puzzled look mixing with his still too distant expression.

"Aren't you cold?" I yelled over the pounding of the rain. He shook his head glumly, looking back to the sky. I wondered why he seemed so depressed, and asked, "What are you doing out here?"

He once again reluctantly pried his gaze from the overcast sky, and studied my face carefully. "I'm not doing anything in particular, really. It's just—I hear the bells."

Confused by his response, I replied, "Bells?" I couldn't hear anything but the steady thrum of the rain.

He gazed at the clouds once more and said thoughtfully, "You can't hear them? They've been unusually loud today; I find it very distracting. I wonder if it's a church, maybe a wedding. Or perhaps a—" He didn't finish his sentence.

I didn't know what to say to this, so I just stood there with him, wondering. I shivered again as the wind blew in our direction, and L looked down at me, concerned.

"Let's go inside." He said quietly, and I could barely hear him over the rain. He took my hand and led me through the door and to the stairwell. The building didn't do too much to warm us up, but at least we weren't still getting drenched outside. L wordlessly found some towels in a cupboard by the doorway, and handed one to me. I tried drying my hair, but gave up quickly, not wanting to fight a losing battle. We walked down a few flights of stairs, and then through a door to a room I hadn't seen before. It was large and empty, with a few stairs leading down to a large expanse of black tile. I wondered how such a room would be used, but figured that it wasn't worth asking. L and I walked to the steps and I sat down, trying effortlessly to soak the annoying water out of my hair. A few moments later, I tossed the towel a few feet away, fed up with its inability to do as I pleased. I expected L to smirk or comment as he usually did when I acted so childishly, but he just stood on the steps next to the railing, not seeming to move at all.

"Ryuzaki… what's wrong?" I got no response from him, and began to feel a bit panicked. He hasn't acted this way before; not rationale, reasonable L…

I couldn't stand to see him hurt like this and not know why. I wanted so badly to help him, but couldn't. He stood there on the steps, his slouch more pronounced than usual, and his messy black hair shielded his dark eyes. What could I do but wait, and hope that he would open up to me sooner or later? He'd always helped me, and now, when I needed to help him, I couldn't do anything.

"L." I got up and walked to the top step where he was standing, "Please. Tell me what's wrong. This isn't like you." I was greeted once again with silence, but then he looked to me. His usually unreadable eyes were full of pain; dark memories and foreboding thoughts swimming in their depths.

I couldn't say anything: too afraid to say the wrong thing, and also of the answer I'd get. From the way he looked at me, I knew I wasn't going to get an answer anytime soon. I sighed wistfully, kissing his cheek softly and turning to leave. I took two steps away from him, and was surprised when his arms wrapped around my waist from behind. He held me close as he buried his face in my hair, and I was close to breaking down. I didn't want him feeling this way; I needed to help him. But how?

"Let me help you." I whispered, and he rested his chin on my shoulder. I tried twisting around in his arms to see his expression, but he wouldn't let me move. He grabbed my left arm and pushed up the sleeve, trailing his long fingers along with white scars that almost matched his own pale skin.

He sighed heavily, and said, "Things will happen to us, but we'll move on, correct?"

I nodded slowly, unsure of where this conversation was heading. He dropped my arm and placed one hand on my stomach, the other on the side of my face. Pressing his lips just under my jaw, he murmured, "Being involved in this case involves a certain amount of risk. Things will happen. We will need to adapt, move on from them."

I tried to reply to this, but couldn't quite concentrate as his lips traveled farther down my neck, causing me to involuntarily tremble. He held me closer then, and said, "I believe we will be parting ways soon… but there will always be a future, no matter how impossible things may seem. Please… remember that."

I wasn't quite sure of what I could say about this cryptic message; and I didn't really believe myself capable of comprehensible speech as his lips moved slowly at the base of my neck. I attempted to turn around, and this time wasn't stopped. L's eyes were shut when I first looked at him, but he opened them as he rested his forehead against mine. I couldn't read the look in his eyes, and still felt uneasy about his current mood.

"I'm not going to leave you." I said quietly, and placed my left hand on the side of his face. The skin of my left arm was still exposed, and L turned his head to press his lips lightly to it.

He looked back at me, undeniable hopelessness flitting quickly through his eyes, and he said, "That's not what I'm concerned about, Adelynn."

He didn't give me a chance to reply or even think as he crushed his lips to mine, causing us both to stumble backwards against the railing. I would've tripped over it, but he steadied me while keeping one hand tangled in my hair and the other around my waist, holding me close to him. I locked my arms around his neck and kissed him back shyly, my heart rate picking up drastically. Sensing my acceptance, he deepened the kiss, causing my lips to part slightly as his tongue traced their outline. I could tell that my breathing had rapidly turned to panting, but couldn't be embarrassed about it as our bodies molded together, and we quickly forgot about anything and everything around us. He clutched my body to his, his hand gently stroking the side of my face. I let forth a moan as our tongues battled with each other, which excited both of us even more. I felt L's long fingers trailing up and down my spine, and I trembled. I held him tightly and wished this would never end, and was confused when I heard a shrill ringing noise break through the heavy atmosphere.

L reluctantly pulled back, his breathing uneven. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a cell phone, which he glared at before turning back to me. He didn't say anything, but brushed his fingertips over my cheek, his eyes boring into mine. Keeping one arm around my waist, he took a deep breath before pressing the 'go' button on his cell phone, and held it delicately to his ear.

"Yes?" His dark eyes never left mine as he listened intently, and I saw something- dread?- flit through them as he replied, "I understand. I'm on my way."

L snapped the cell phone shut and put it back into his pocket, sighing. He kissed my forehead lightly and said, "Come on, let's go. It seems like it's all worked out."

He grabbed my hand and I, still trying to return my breathing back to normal, followed him willingly.

My pulse was still thudding in my ears as L and I walked to the stairwell, hand in hand. His expression was still distant and slightly sullen as he led the way to the lobby, but when he glanced sideways at me he half-smiled and squeezed my hand reassuringly. I grinned back and decided to ask, "What'd you mean when you said 'it seems like it's all worked out'?"

L thought a moment before answering, "I'm testing the Death Note today."

I gaped at him, "What?"

He shrugged and said, "I've requested that a criminal in another country use the Death Note to write the name of a separate criminal on death row, to see if he dies after thirteen days. To test the validity of the thirteen day rule."

I shook my head, grinning crookedly, "Light's not going to like that."

L looked amused, "Exactly."

We reached the lobby in a few moments and walked through the doors, still holding hands. I blushed furiously, but L looked quite indifferent when Matsuda regarded us with curiosity and was momentarily stunned. He got over it quickly though, and said, "Ryuzaki? What's the meaning of all this? You somehow got approval from another country to use the notebook in an execution?"

L ignored him and walked over to the desk, looking to the monitors which had an ornate 'W' for Watari on them. Disregarding the incredulous glares he was receiving from everyone in the room, he said, "Watari, excellent work. Thank you."

Watari's kind voice answered in a business-like manner, "Not at all."

There was a cup of coffee before the detective, and he absentmindedly loaded it with sugar. I smirked as he added more than any normal person would have, and then he said, "First things first, Watari, please make arrangements to transport the notebook immediately."

"Right." He answered immediately.

L went back to stirring his coffee thoughtfully, and Light said a bit too calmly, "Ryuzaki, what are you trying to do?"

I held back a smile as L replied, "I'm going to try out the notebook for real." He took a large sip of his coffee and put it down, staring directly at Light.

Light didn't move or say anything, and Aizawa yelled angrily, "We can't do that! And there's no point in testing it now when we know that notebook's power is real!"

I remembered how Aizawa had been upset with L's decision making earlier on in the case; and he had ended up storming out of the investigation. I hoped that this wouldn't result in a similar scene.

Matsuda stomped over to where Aizawa was, taking his side apparently, and said to L, "And besides, who's gonna write the name? If someone starts writing in the notebook, they'll have to obey the thirteen day rule and keep writing names forever."

L sighed, growing impatient, and said tonelessly, "It's already been worked out. The person who'll write in the book is a criminal scheduled to be executed in just thirteen days. If he's still alive thirteen days after writing the name, we'll pardon him from the execution." He fiddled with the spoon he'd used to stir his coffee, already finished drinking the caffeinated substance.

I turned to Light to see his reaction. He didn't seem upset or nervous at all, and I was disappointed. But then I remembered that someone like Kira wouldn't be foolish enough as to crack under pressure, and rolled my eyes. 'Just give it up, Light Yagami. You're not going to win.'

Chief Yagami looked furious by this point, and said quickly to L, "But still, to sacrifice a—"

L sat up slightly in his seat, his patience apparently gone, "But we're very close! If we work this out, then the entire case will be solved!"

Chief Yagami stood back, deciding it was best not to test the younger man. I felt bad for him; he'd been on the police force for so long before this case, and his morals were definitely being tested by this.

"Yagami-san," I said quietly to Light's father, "When this case is over, you'll be able to go back to your family again. I know you want to see your wife and daughter. That's worth a thousand scum's lives."

He nodded slowly, closing his eyes and sighing.

Suddenly, I heard something coming from the monitors on the desk, and turned quickly to figure out what it was. L was sitting up, a panicked look on his face. "Watari?"

Watari didn't respond, and L yelled, "Watari!"

Just then, all the lights went out and the screens where a 'W' had just been were replaced with the message 'All Data Deletion.' An alarm went off then, and I jumped nearly ten feet in the air in fright.

"What the Hell is that? What's wrong with Watari?!" I shouted, whipping my head around to see L. His expression was angry and panicked, and I yelled, "Ryuzaki?!"

"I told Watari to make sure that he would erase all information if something should happen to him," L said severely, and I froze.

"If something should happen?" I looked to the other investigators, who were wearing the same confused and frightened expression that I was. The only light in the lobby was the red of the monitors, the only sound being our panicked breathing and the alarm in the background.

L rotated his chair around and said darkly, "Where's the shinigami?"

Chief Yagami glanced around and urgently replied, "Good question. I don't see it!"

Matsuda let out a frightened yell, "It disappeared!"

"Ryuzaki, what's going on?!" I shouted over the panic, and he turned back to the desk.

"Everyone!" He demanded, "The shiniga—"

Almost everything in the lobby seemed to stop, including my heart. L dropped his spoon and it clattered to the floor as he clutched at his chest, his expression going blank. He tipped to the side and began to fall out of his chair. Light and I almost at the same time lunged towards him, but I reached him first. I lifted L's body partly off the floor, and Light kneeled down beside us both. I felt nothing but numb shock as the brilliant detective's dark eyes began to close, and I yelled, "L!"

L's body went limp in my arms, and I wasn't able to comprehend what had just happened. I shook his lifeless body, yelling, "Come on, L! Wake up!" He looked so peaceful that he could have been sleeping if I didn't know any better. I hugged him to my chest, and sobbed brokenly, "Not you too! Not you…"

Light jumped up, shouting out in panic. Everyone made a start towards him, and he shouted, "We're gonna die! Can't you all see? First it was Ryuzaki, and it's us next!"

Aizawa stumbled backwards in shock and Matsuda crouched down, hands over his head. Chief Yagami yelled out in fright and Light looked down at the ground, his hair covering his eyes. "Damn it! Where are you shinigami?!"

I stayed kneeling on the ground, frozen with disbelief and shock; I didn't even care that all of our lives could be over almost as abruptly as L's. Light continued shouting, "You know something about this, don't you?! Come on out!" Light stormed to the exit of the lobby, a look of grim determination on his face as he began his search for the terrifying creature.

Everyone followed Light out of the room, except for Matsuda, who stopped just outside the doorway. "Adelynn…"

I glanced up at him; tears welled up in my eyes. "Go search for the shinigami; it's what he'd want you to do."I said this in a choked voice, but Matsuda still looked torn between staying or not. A second later he walked quickly out of the lobby, a guilty look on his face.

I rested my hand on the side of L's face, willing for his eyes to open, for him to be alive. The tears spilled over onto my face, and I cried for him, and cried for Watari, who'd undoubtedly suffered the same fate. I cradled his lifeless body in my arms, rocking back and forth and mourning the passing of the world's greatest detective. The man I'd come to love was now… dead.

**--**

**A/N: -hides- Please don't hurt me! Keep in mind that this is only the halfway mark of my story... keep reading!! **

**Sorry this wasn't out on Saturday like it usually is; I was violently sick on Friday and didn't feel in the mood to type up or write anything. But now I've gotten better, and should get back on my regular schedule!**

**If I don't update before Thursday, I'd like to wish you all a Happy Christmas!**

**Thank you for all the reviews sent; I've just noticed that I'm past the 50 review mark. You all are amazing. Please keep on doing it! Reviews are like Christmas presents. ^_^**

**-Sydney :3**


	22. Absence

**Part Twenty-Two - Absence**

He'd told me the very day that he died that being involved in this case posed a certain amount of risk. Had he known that just hours after he'd said those words he'd be dead?

I certainly didn't.

Of course I knew the risks, and I gladly accepted them on my behalf. I was disposable; it didn't matter what happened to me. But L? I'd always thought that he'd be the one to live through this whole ordeal. He seemed invincible: the elusive, brilliant L. The world needed him. _I _needed him.

And now, just like that, he's gone. He'd finally encountered a case that was too much for him. Although, he always had known who the real Kira was. He'd denied it to my face, but he must have known. Why else would he try and prove the thirteen day rule incorrect? Light Yagami, that bastard, _is _Kira. And L had died trying to prove it.

He had seemed so distant that day; could he sense that his life was coming to an end? 'The bells…' Now I knew why he hadn't finished his sentence up on the roof that day:

--

_"Bells?" I said, puzzled. I couldn't hear anything but the steady thrum of the rain._

_He gazed once more at the clouds and said thoughtfully, "You can't hear them? They've been unusually loud today; I find it very distracting. I wonder if it's a church, maybe a wedding. Or perhaps a-_

_--_

'Perhaps a funeral?' I thought dismally, and a lone tear trailed down my face. It felt like there was a gaping hole in my chest; one that had healed over just soon enough to be ripped open once again. First were my mom and grandma, and now L and Watari. It seemed as if everything meaningful to me was disappearing…

These thoughts ran their course in my mind, and I felt like I was going to explode. Why the Hell should this happen to me?! I let out a yell of frustration, while kicking and thrashing about at anything I could get my hands on. I eventually calmed down and leaned against the wall, slightly dizzy from the sudden exertion. It was no use acting so childishly, and I felt foolish. I slid down the wall and wrapped my arms around my legs, resting me head on my knees. Twice I've been put in this situation. Twice I've had to endure the fact that my loved ones had been taken from me. Four people whom I'd grown close to, loved, were dead. Why couldn't it have been me? I should've died instead! L had a purpose to his life, a talent that had undoubtedly saved millions of lives. What have I ever done? Compared to his accomplishments, I'm a bona fide waste of space.

And yet I'm still here, alive instead of the world's greatest detective. Could that mean something? I shook my head glumly, tears streaming down my face. Kira had gotten what he wanted. Now what would be our fate?

I sat there in semi-darkness for a while, with only one thick black curtain pulled open half-way. My room felt suddenly too quiet; too… dead. I looked to the window I could see, and scowled as I spotted dark clouds or rain rolling in once again. It was hard to believe that L had died just yesterday; to me it felt like each passing moment were an eternity.

The scene where L had first shown the signs of a heart attack kept replaying over and over in my head, no matter how much I wanted it to stop. I could see the whole thing in my mind's eye as if I were watching it from above; I saw how everything stopped as L gasped for breath, and Light and I lunging for his body as it began to fall to the floor. I saw everyone's panicked expressions and my blank, disbelieving one. They all looked around in fright when they remembered the shinigami, and soon Light stormed off to search for it. Everyone followed him, including a hesitant Matsuda. I kneeled there on the ground with the lifeless L, tears streaming down my face.

It would've been perfect for a tragic movie.

But this was no movie. This was my life.

When the six investigators had returned from searching for the shinigami, they found that I hadn't moved an inch. They stared solemnly to the dead detective in my arms, pained expressions mingling with fear and apprehension. I reluctantly had let go of L after some struggle, and I watched numbly as Mogi and Aizawa had dragged his body away.

Chief Yagami was the first one to talk to me after that. He'd led me to what was my favorite couch and said that they hadn't been able to find Rem. They had seen a pile of sand where she was believed to have been, though, and he painfully confirmed Watari's death. I'd sat there, nodding my head slowly and only half-listening as the man spoke. When he finished, I'd thanked him and walked slowly away, headed to I don't know where. I suppose that I'd collapsed somewhere between the lobby and the stairwell, because I vaguely remember waking up and finding that Light was carrying me back to my room, a somber look on his cruel face. I didn't struggle though, weak as I was, and had passed out again before we'd reached the ninth floor. I didn't even have enough energy to protest as he'd walked into the elevator, but I remember thinking, 'In a freaking metal death trap with a murderer. Brilliant,' before nodding off again.

Fury coursed throughout my body as I thought of Light, and I had to force myself not to run down to the lobby and rip him to shreds. That fucking bastard! Because of him, the man I loved is dead. I knew more than anything that it was by his will that L had died; and I thought then of Rem. He'd used the shinigami to make sure his main threat was gone, and I suddenly understood what Light had meant when he said to her, 'Who's it gonna be? L… or her?'

Rem had obviously picked 'her' and killed L, which ultimately led to her demise. There was one thing I didn't get though; and that was why the shinigami had died. Wasn't it their purpose to write people's names down in the Death Note and kill them? It was a way of survival for the gods of death… and for some reason, it seems to have killed Rem. Why?

I grimaced as I thought of the shinigami. She was just another one of Light's victims in his pursuit of a better world. That didn't make me feel any sympathy for her, though: it had been her who'd sent L to his untimely death. I could never forgive her for that.

I briefly remembered a time when I'd idolized Kira for his intentions; and I now laughed humorlessly at my stupidity. What a fool I'd been, to follow that twisted sense of justice. L had been justice. And now L was dead. Where did that leave us?

I now despised Light Yagami with every fiber of my being. I grit my teeth as I thought of him and all the lived he'd wasted to attain his 'perfect world'. If he kept it up, the only person left with a tainted soul would be him.

My hands balled up into fists of their own accord, and I spoke clearly to my empty room, "Light Yagami, I will kill you personally when this is all over, if I haven't before then. You will not win."

My voice seemed to echo in the silence, and I felt more alone than ever.

*******

I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my closet, staring at my reflection but not really seeing it. Today was the day of L's funeral, just two days after his death. It wouldn't be an open funeral; only the people living in headquarters and Misa would be attending. Everything felt surreal, like a dream. I kept thinking this was all some horrible nightmare, and that soon I'd wake u. Maybe L would be standing beside me as he had before…

There was only one thing that convinced me that I wasn't dreaming; and that was the unbearable, nagging pain I felt. This was nothing like when I'd lost my two remaining family members. Back then it was a dull throbbing, the ache of loss. I'd believed then that that was pain. Pain? I'd known nothing of it, not then. This was more acute, concentrated, and went beyond just grief, striking into my very soul. It was all I could do not to curl up into a ball and let my pain reign freely.

I could feel myself getting dizzy as I tried to hold back the agonizing cries building up inside of me, and sat down, gasping for breath. I wrapped my arms tightly around my chest, trying to hold myself together. My body trembled with the effort, and I rested my forehead on the cold blue carpeting.

Someone was knocking timidly on my door, but I didn't get up and answer it. We weren't leaving for the funeral for twenty more minutes; whoever it was could wait. I heard the door open quietly, and the click of the automatic lock as it closed. I sat up quickly, blinking back the tears threatening to spill over.

Soft footsteps made their way over to the closet, and Misa Amane stood in the doorway, a large set of keys in hand. She crossed over to where I was and sat down beside me, a hesitant look on her face.

"Adelynn-chan, are you okay?" She looked genuinely concerned, and I nodded slowly, eyeing the keys in her hand. She grinned apologetically and said, "Light-kun gave them to me. Everyone's worried about you. They said you haven't been out since…"

I stared at the ground, trying my hardest to seem apathetic. I could tell it wasn't working though, and I closed my eyes, wondering how in the Hell L's expression always was so carefully composed. He'd always made it seem effortless, and I wished desperately for that talent as the blonde model eyed me sympathetically.

"You know, Adelynn-chan, Misa is always here to help…"

I remained silent and staring at the floor, hoping that she would get the hint that I didn't want to talk about it. She then jumped up quickly and held out her hand, looking down at me nervously, "Come on. We should probably get going."

I sighed heavily and took her hand, really not wanting to go. She grabbed my arm and led me away from my room, to go and meet the others in the lobby. I was dreading what they would say when we got down there, and of what my own reaction would be. We took the stairwell, and soon were standing outside of the entrance to the lobby. Everyone: Chief Yagami, Light, Aizawa, Matsuda, Mogi, and Ide were gathered there, and were all silent, staring pensively at different parts of the hallway. They didn't say anything, and for that I was thankful. I didn't want to talk about what we were about to go do; I needed to focus all my energy on just getting through it without breaking down. I couldn't afford to let Light, or anyone, see me so vulnerable. I wouldn't let Light have the satisfaction of knowing how much L's death had affected me…

No one moved for a while, unsure of what to do or say. Matsuda looked curiously at me at one point, but then looked away quickly, seeing as I'd spotted him. If the silence had gone on any longer I would've gone insane, but thankfully Chief Yagami checked his watch and said reluctantly, "We should all probably get going now."

Misa stuck by me as we walked out of the building, and we both crawled into the back seats of a black car. Chief Yagami was driving, and Light sat in the seat in front of Misa's. The other four investigators were in a separate car. I tried my best not to let my irritation show at being in such close proximity to the bronze haired murderer. My hands balled up into fists and I rested my head against the cool glass window, willing this all to be over.

*******

The sky was overcast and gray, almost the same as it had been at the last funeral I'd attended. I could hardly believe that it had only been a few months ago that I'd stood by my mom's grave, wondering what was going to happen next. I was at a complete loss for what to do then, and I felt the same way now. There was no way I'd be able to put up with this for much longer…

Everyone from headquarters stood around two graves, silently paying their respects. One grave read 'Quillish Wammy, 5/1/1933- 11/5/2004,' and the one beside it was blank. The blank one was L's, seeing as no one could ever trace his real name or age; and the other was Watari's, who was found to be a famous inventor who used the money he earned to open many orphanages across the world. I gazed despairingly at them both, wondering why it had to have been them to go, instead of someone of lesser importance, like me. I refused to let any of my emotions show through during the whole service, and stared blankly at the two graves. I felt as if I were about to collapse, and willed myself to stay strong. L had said that things would happen, and we'd need to move on…

Looking to Light, I saw his head bowed, his bronze hair shielding his eyes. He looked as if he really were in mourning; but I knew better. 'He's only feigning sympathy… the bastard.' I felt my body start to quiver from the sudden, intense hatred I felt when I looked at him; and I had to close my eyes and count to ten to be able to calm myself down. It was all I could do to keep from running up to him and beating him senseless; the only thing stopping me was the fact that I knew L wouldn't want me to put myself at risk like that.

I couldn't really tell how much time passed as we all stood there, and was startled out of my thoughts when Misa tugged lightly on my elbow, saying carefully, "Adelynn? It's time to go."

Everyone was already walking back to the cars, none of them speaking a word to each other. I glanced despairingly at the two graves and only moved when Misa grabbed my arm once again and led me away. I walked silently beside her, and as we drove away I kept my eyes trained on the blank grave, watching it miserably until it disappeared from my line of vision.

*******

The headquarters felt truly different now as we walked silently back into them. L's absence made the building feel so much emptier, even though it was only him that was gone. Watari's absence could be felt too; despite the fact that we rarely saw him, we all felt awkward without him. We all headed in a group to the lobby, and as everyone else walked in I stood outside the glass doors, hesitant. It would be so different now, knowing that every time I went in there L wouldn't be. I forced my feet to carry me into the room, however, and saw that everyone had headed towards the black couches. I made my way over to them and sat beside Misa, who gave me an encouraging grin.

I stared thoughtlessly at the blank monitors, an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. I concentrated on the ticking of the clock, focusing on its constant beat instead of the morbid thoughts threatening to take control of my mind.

Everyone sat awkwardly on the couches, except for Light, who stood nearer to the desk. He had a pensive look on his face, and I knew he was debating on what could be said.

I rolled my eyes as he walked to the center of the lobby, clearing his throat pointedly to get our attention. 'Cue the heartfelt monologue,' I thought, and sighed.

"Look, everyone, this was unexpected, and I feel the same way you all do," Light began. He was the only one standing; the rest of us were sitting on the couches. "But do you really think Ryuzaki intended for us to sit around and mourn for his death? He wouldn't act this way if it were one of us killed, he would have carried on with the case. And that's what we have to do now."

He looked to each one of us, and then closed his eyes. He bowed his head and said with determination, "I will never forgive the one who has done this to Ryuzaki. I will make it my life's mission to hunt down and catch Kira, to follow in his footsteps."

I was momentarily swayed by the passion with which he said this; it seemed as if he really meant what he was saying. But I wouldn't let myself be fooled, not as easily as the others were. They all looked at Light with a sort of admiration and respect; almost completely unlike the way they'd regarded L. It made me sick that they were buying his pack of lies so readily.

Light paused dramatically and lowered his voice, his bronze hair shielding his eyes, "I will avenge Ryuzaki's death; only by solving this case can I bid him farewell. To Watari as well, and to all the other victims… This is for everyone." He kept his head bowed mournfully, and everyone looked to him with sympathy.

Matsuda hopped off of the couch and said with a motivated glint in his eyes, "Light's right! We can't just sit here while Kira kills more criminals. We need to keep working."

Chief Soichiro Yagami then got up, and stood beside his son. "Yes, we will all carry on for L. We need to make it seem as if L is continuing this investigation; we can't tell the world that he's dead, if we did then everything he's accomplished will mean next to nothing."

'You're just aiding the enemy,' I thought incredulously, 'Open your eyes, people! Can't you see?' I resisted the impulse to shake my head pityingly, and didn't say what I'd been thinking.

Aizawa looked as if he were debating what to say, and then stood up too, "I agree. We need to make sure the public thinks L is still alive and tracking down Kira. Ryuzaki died for this case, and it's up to us to make sure he didn't die in vain."

Matsuda nodded eagerly and Light stood there, his face betraying no emotion but determination. Mogi and Ide sat on the couch across from me, and I wondered why they didn't respond as readily as the others. Mogi stared down at the floor, a concentrated look on his face; and Ide sat up straight, looking to each of the standing investigators. It was easy to see that he was impressed by the devotion of the group to carry on with the case so quickly, and I knew he was going to be just as easily reeled in as Matsuda had been.

The mood of the investigators had dramatically changed from when they'd just walked into the lobby. Each of them had a motivated air about them, and were all determined to get back to work. They hadn't eve really had the time to register that L was actually gone; and I figured Light was convincing them to move on so quickly because he didn't want them brooding over the circumstances of his death.

Matsuda turned to Light and said, "But if we're not going to tell everyone that Ryuzaki's dead, who's going to represent him?"

I didn't even have to think about who they'd all pick, and by the time I looked to each of them, I could see their unanimous decision in their eyes.

Chief Yagami rested a hand on his son's shoulder, "there's no one who could do this but you, Light."

Aizawa nodded slowly in thoughtful agreement, and Matsuda grinned eagerly. Ide and Mogi both nodded their assent, and Misa squealed excitedly.

"Oh, Light, this is so cool! You're like an official detective now!"

It was as if my approval didn't matter, as they all seemed to have been sold on the idea of Light as the new 'L'.

Light, though, shook his head slowly, "I'm really not sure about this; as we've all seen, this involves a lot of risk, and I'm not sure I'm ready to handle that amount of responsibility."

I rolled my eyes. 'Ha! Risk and responsibility my ass! What a prick. You're just loving this, aren't you, Light?'

Matsuda looked crestfallen, however, and protested, "But Ryuzaki said himself that you could succeed him! You can do it better than any of us, Light!"

I snorted at how downright ridiculous the whole situation was, and everyone seemed to hear my disapproval. They all turned to me, starting slightly as if they'd forgotten I was there, and Light said cautiously, "Is something wrong, Adelynn?"

I shook my head, "Oh no, I'm fine. Carry on." I smiled mischievously and received many puzzled stares. I sat there motionlessly until they all turned away again, trying not to laugh. 'Why do I feel like laughing all of a sudden?' I thought, trying to calm down, 'There really must be something wrong with me.'

Light looked slightly wary and just reluctant enough as he said slowly, "Alright, I'll do it. But only because I personally want to bring Kira to justice." He thought for a moment, and added, "And I won't take any huge risks like Ryuzaki did to attain hints. I don't want to have to put mine or any of your lives in even greater danger than they already are."

Misa hugged Light tightly, "Light, you're so brave!"

Aizawa nodded in intense approval, since he had never agreed with L's risky methods before. Everyone else seemed to agree too, and so Light crossed over to the desk and sat down, turning on all of the monitors.

Matsuda looked confused and said, "So… we just continue where Ryuzaki left off?" Matsuda seemed just as disconcerted as I did; this was all moving so fast, it was as if no time had passed at all.

Light nodded, "Yes. I believe this is what he'd want us to do. But… I won't let them carry out the use of the Death Note in that execution. It's just not right to waste that life, and unnecessary. We all know of the notebook's powers."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and I scowled darkly. 'Are you kidding?!' I thought, seething, 'Trying to hide that the thirteen day rule's a fake? Coward.'

"You know," I said innocently, "You're all talking about how Ryuzaki would want us all to 'move on', and that this is what he intended for us to do. But do you think he 'intended' for us to cancel the execution? It was the last thing he'd ever done to order the notebook be used; wouldn't you want to honor his last request?"

All eyes in the room landed on me, but I only stared directly at Light, seeing his reaction. It was completely composed, as I'd expected, but he wouldn't look me right in the eyes.

Matsuda rubbed his neck nervously, "Heh, she does kinda have a point…"

Light shook his head thoughtfully, "No, I don't believe the execution is necessary any longer. The only reason it was suggested in the first place was because Ryuzaki wanted to test the thirteen day rule, since it's obvious that he's never completely trusted me." He looked around the room, making eye contact with everyone but me, "I was elected as L's successor because you all trust me, correct? If so, then I see no valid reason for such a trivial task."

His eyes finally fell on me and I glared at him, finding no mature way to refute his statement. Even if I had I most likely would've lost, anyway. Light had tricked every one of them effortlessly.

I glared at him challengingly until he looked away, and then sighed, frustrated. Things weren't looking so bright for the Kira task force, and that made me furious. Fools! Couldn't they all see that they were being tricked?!

Light had focused his attention back on the computer by then; and I could tell he was trying to find a way to retrieve all the data that Watari had deleted before he'd died. 'Good luck,' I thought, and smirked.

After a while, Aizawa said, "Do you think you'll be able to reconstruct the system so that people will still think you're L?

Nodding his head thoughtfully, Light said, "Yes, I'll be able to recover most of the system; I'm currently reconstructing the distorted voice he used, and I believe with that we'll still be able to get help from the police force. That being said, I believe I'd be able to accomplish about the same amount of work on my computer as I can on this one, as well as install an electromagnetic scrambling device on it. That way, it's not impossible for me to act as L from my room at home… But even then, my mother and sister would still be there. If I could just rent out one room, then it would be fine…"

Chief Yagami added, "And there's nothing strange about sending my son off to live on his own; that way we can all work in Light's room as the new-found headquarters."

There was a general agreement to this statement, and Aizawa said, "Now the only thing left is what we should do with that murderer's notebook…" He looked curiously to Light.

"There's no need to think too deeply about that… someone should just hide it in a place where humans can't reach it." Light answered automatically.

"You say we should hide it, Light-kun, but the problem is who the one is that should hide it." Matsuda spoke up, a puzzled look on his face.

Light looked away and said slowly, "Someone out of us six that could be trusted to never use the notebook… we would have that person hide it in a place where even if something happened to them, it could never be found by anyone. That should be all we need to do."

Aizawa looked to Chief Yagami and said, "Chief… please do it."

"Alright, I'll do something about it." Chief Yagami replied, and then said, "I should be careful not to scream even if a shinigami appears…"

Everyone looked at each other; each wondering where the shinigami had gone. There was no definitive proof that said she was the one to kill L, although it's what I believed. I needed no proof.

There was silence from everyone in the lobby, until Matsuda spoke up,

"Things seem to be getting back on track, 'L'." He said to Light, grinning happily.

I blinked once, 'Did he seriously just refer to that bastard as L?' I don't know why this upset me so much, seeing as they'd already decided Light was his successor, but momentarily I was furious. I jumped out of my seat angrily and yelled, "I've had enough of this bullshit!"

The investigator's shocked and confused faces normally would've made me laugh hysterically, but I was too pissed off to register them. I stormed to the glass doors and flung them open, hearing briefly as Matsuda said, "What's wrong with Adelynn? Was it something I said…?"

I snorted incredulously and walked away quickly to my room, leaving them all dazed and confused behind me. I figured that my outburst had confirmed any of Light's suspicions that I knew what he was up to, and quite frankly didn't care. He couldn't kill me; it would look too suspicious if he did…

As I walked along in the hallways, I began to laugh insanely. The looks on their faces _had _been pretty priceless. And Light, what fun it was to challenge him! I should make it a goal to test him every day; see if he slips up. I giggled uncharacteristically and covered my mouth, slightly shocked. What was happening to me? I continued walking, and thought despairingly, 'I'll be certifiably insane by the time this is all over…'

**--**

**A/N: 62 reviews! Woot! Thanks, everyone =] Glad you all seem to like this story; I think that next chapter I'll start answering the reviews at the bottom of each chapter instead of individually replying to them all. :D**

**This chapter wasn't the best, but the next one will be better. Promise. Hang in there!**

**-Sydney**


	23. Key

**Part Twenty-Three – Key**

"God _damn _it!" I charged into my room and slammed the door shut, a scowl on my face. I paced back and forth, knocking over and kicking anything in my path. My head was spinning with the many things I was feeling, and it was hard to repress the hysteria building up inside of me. As I stormed past my desk, I wiped off everything on its surface, resulting in a tumultuous clatter as it hit the floor. Even when I heard the small lamp fall and the glass shatter I didn't stop; instead, I took one smug look at it and kept going, enjoying the small path of destruction I was leaving.

I reached the wall and kicked it as hard as I could, not caring as a sharp pain shot up my foot and ankle. The pain did distract me temporarily, however, and this time I punched it, wincing in pain as my knuckles collided with the hard surface. "Stupid, stupid, _stupid_!" I yelled, massaging the sore knuckles of my right hand, "What the _fuck _am I supposed to do now?"

My knees began to shake and I leaned against the wall, sinking slowly down to the floor. I hugged my knees to my chest and inhaled slowly, trying to calm myself down. The tears had welled up in my eyes again and I held them back defiantly, not willing to give in to something I could try and control. And who knew, but Light could still have the surveillance cameras set up that L had installed and was watching me right now; watching as I slowly fell apart once again…

The spinning in my head had gradually lessened and turned into a nagging headache, and there was only the sound of a dull buzzing now ringing in my ears. I looked behind me at the wall, and was disappointed to see that it was still completely intact, my crazed attack not leaving even the slightest dent on the smooth surface. I rested the back of my head on it, and looked to the mess I'd made of my desk.

Every scrap of paper that had been lying on its surface was in a spread out mess on the floor, and my sketchbooks lie in a heap on top of each other, the covers bending back almost to the point of breaking. Pencils and random items were strewn about the surrounding area, and my eyes finally fell to the broken lamp. It had been just a regular old desk lamp, with a metal base and adjustable arm. But with the force I'd slammed it to the ground, the metal arm had snapped at the joint and the light bulb had shattered, sending tiny shards of glass all across the area. My first feeling was one of regret for breaking the harmless object, but then I smirked. 'Just one more thing for Light to clean up when I'm gone, right?'

Startled by my own reasoning, I thought, 'Gone?' I hadn't even considered leaving, even though it was the smart thing to do now. The investigators in the lobby had all spoken of a 'new headquarters', which would be in a room that Light would rent out. Even if the invitation was still open for me to investigate with them, I wouldn't do it. I bloody well was not going to work alongside Light Yagami, especially since he's the one they're all trying to hunt down. But… where did that leave me? If no one was going to be staying here at the old headquarters, I most definitely wouldn't either. What would be the point of that?

I sighed heavily, wondering where I could go. My old house was already sold, and the apartment I'd rented before being arrested was definitely not still waiting for me, not after all these months.

"Damn it," I mumbled, frustrated, and shut my eyes in concentration. I could always just get a new apartment; either that or ask to stay at my old friend's house for a while. If I could even consider anyone to be my friend any more; I hadn't talked to Kimiko, my friend from the university, in months. And besides her, my list of friends was sadly non-existent…

I wondered vaguely if the financial support that L had set up for the investigators in case of death was still existent, and if so, how to acquire it. There was a dull, throbbing ache coming from the hole in my chest as I thought of the detective, and I hugged my knees tighter, trying to hold myself together.

At a complete loss as to what I was going to do, I stood up silently and drifted over to my closet. I picked up my ratty old suitcase, looking nostalgically at this reminder of my old life, and then opened it up and set it down. I knew I wasn't going to be staying here much longer, and even though I had no clue where to go, I knew I couldn't stand being in this large building any longer than necessary. It was built by and for the brilliant young man I'd come to know, and was a tragic reminder of what I'd lost. I'd go insane if I was subjected to living in it much longer…

In the midst of throwing my few pairs of jeans into the old suitcase, I froze, my tired mind wandering back to the last few hours before my world had been tossed into chaos once again. If I remembered correctly, Watari had been acting rather odd the day of his death, just as L had. He'd said some things I hadn't really understood, and now I stood in my closet, wondering about them. What exactly had he said? I vaguely recalled him asking me where I'd go once everything was finished in the case, and my answer was that I had no clue. 'That's odd…' I though, 'Did he know this was going to happen…?'

I gasped as I recalled exactly what he had said that fateful day:

--

_"Adelynn?" I swiveled around again and looked to Watari. He seemed to be picking his words carefully as he said, "When you figure out what to do once this case is over, don't forget to look back and see how things have changed. If you can figure out your next course of action, then the rest will work itself out for you."_

--

When he'd first said this, it had gone right over my head. But now, as I thought back on it, I realized that he knew something like this would happen, and he wanted to make sure that I had somewhere to go if something had gone wrong. 'It can't have been a coincidence,' I thought quickly, my mind whirling with possibilities. What exactly had he meant, though? He'd mentioned something about the end of the case… What if he'd meant the 'end' of him or L, not the case? That would make sense… since there was always a possibility of their death. 'Don't forget to look back and see how things have changed…' What had that been referring to? That was the piece of the puzzle that was missing; if I could figure out what that meant, 'then the rest will work itself out.'

I racked my brains, trying to figure out what the Hell Watari had meant. Looking back and seeing how things have changed… Would that mean looking at the ways in which my life was altered by being a Kira suspect?

I shut my eyes in concentration, feeling something tugging at the edge of my memory, yet slipping away whenever I got near enough to catch it. 'Looking back… looking back… What does that mean?'

My eyes snapped open and I shouted in triumph as I realized what exactly I was supposed to do. With my heart racing I sped over to the mess I'd made of my desk, carefully avoiding the fragments of glass scattered precariously over the carpet. I got on my hands and knees and searched for the object I'd laid on top of the desk a few days previously, and almost cried out in victory when I picked up my old journal.

I had absolutely no clue what I was looking for, but immediately opened up the small notebook and scanned through the many pages, hoping to catch a glimpse of something I hadn't seen before…

Almost every page of my journal was filled to the max with my messy scrawl and random sketches, and I almost didn't catch the unfamiliar handwriting on the second to last page of the notebook.

My heart stopped when I saw the tiny letters and numbers in the margin of the paper, all written in a very neat, concise manner. It looked like an address, one of which I was unfamiliar. Next to the writing, a brass key was taped to the page. Underneath the address were the words: 'Just For Emergencies'.

Carefully removing the key from the page, I held it delicately and stared dumbly at the note, wondering what that meant. 'Just for… emergencies?' I thought, my mind going blank instead of trying to comprehend what the Hell that entailed. I also wondered how that ended up in my journal in the first place, and what I was supposed to do with it.

There was one thing I was certain of, and that was that this is what Watari had meant when he'd said 'look back'. What other explanation could there be? And now, my next course of action will be to head to this address and hope things will work themselves out from there.

*******

It was hard to walk at a normal pace; if I could, I'd have sprinted from my room and to wherever the address took me. But as it was, I didn't want to look suspicious or overly eager to get out of headquarters, and walked briskly down to the lobby. Only an hour or so had passed since my angry outburst when Matsuda had referred to Light as 'L', and I was hoping that I could use that as a reasonable excuse to get out of headquarters for the time being.

I wasn't sure if I should tell them that I was going out, or if I could just leave without informing them. I was spared the trouble of figuring that out, though, as I spotted Light talking to his father right outside of the lobby's entrance. My first instinct was to hurt Light, as I've been wanting to for the past three days, but I restrained myself and walked up next to the two, a despondent look on my face.

Light noticed me first, and said in a properly concerned voice, "Are you alright, Adelynn?"

I said quietly, "I, well… no. Not really. I think I need some time to think. I'll be out for a while, not sure when I'll get back. That's okay, right?"

"Of course," Light replied, "I know this is hard for you. I'm sorry."

I glared at him darkly, and held back the 'No you're not' that I was about to shout at him. Chief Yagami really did look concerned, and I didn't want to upset him. He'd never done anything to warrant my hostility.

Nodding glumly, I walked to the exit, the address and key tucked safely in my jeans pocket. I could feel two pairs of eyes watching me as I left, and sighed in relief when I walked through the double doors and into the cool November air.

*******

I reached the building's address at around seven p.m., when the sun was already set and the flickering street lamps turned on. I glanced once at the building, and then once again at the crumpled journal page in my hands, wondering if I was at the right place. I was standing at the entrance of an apartment building, with a set of large glass doors leading into the lobby. There was a feeling of familiarity to the building as I stepped in and crossed to the center, wondering why I'd been sent here. There were a few people sitting on the couches in a far corner of the room, who turned and stared at me as I crossed over to a directory. I averted my eyes and turned my attention to the list of rooms, noting that the building was twenty-three floors high. Rummaging through my pocket, I grabbed my key and looked for a room number. On the very top was engraved the number 327, and, looking to this list, was at the very top floor of the building. I sighed, and searched the lobby for a stairwell. My paranoia of taking an elevator remained as strong as ever, and I frowned at the thought of walking up twenty-two flights of stairs. My curiosity, however, spurred me forward and soon I began my journey to the top floor.

It seemed like an eternity later that I reached my destination, and once there I leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. Hoping that I wouldn't have to do that again anytime soon, I walked down the hallway to my left, searching for room 327. I let my mind wander as I travelled the long corridor, and I soon reached the end of the hallway. Room number 327 was the last door on the left, and as I stood outside of it, my heart rate sped up in anticipation of what was inside. I had no clue what to expect, and inserted the brass key into the lock, stepping quietly into the room and shutting the door gently behind me.

As soon as I walked in, I was in an entryway with a small coat closet directly to my left. Flipping on a light, I roamed forward, and the entryway expanded out to a larger room, which I assumed was a living room. There were two black couches in the center, and a table aligned on the wall next to them. So far, I could see that no one was in the apartment but me, and I looked around, curious as to what this was all about. All of the drapes on the windows were tightly shut, so that I could not see even a hint of the dark night sky. I turned on a few more lights, not liking the eerie feeling of being alone when I had no clue where I was or what I was doing, and explored the rest of the apartment.

There was a relatively big kitchen near the living room, and across from that was an even larger bedroom, a bit bigger than the one I had back at headquarters. From there, a bathroom was connected to the bedroom, and directly across from that was what I figured was a spare room. My investigation of the apartment proved that no one was in there with me, and from looking at it even briefly I could tell that no one had been in it for quite some time. Every room was completely furnished, and everything looked brand new and seemed to have an air of neglect about it.

More puzzled than ever, I walked out to the living room and stood there, wondering what I was supposed to do. I glanced around the relatively large space, and suddenly spotted a piece of paper on the coffee table next to the black couches. My legs carried me forward unthinkingly, and soon I held the notebook paper in my hands. I noticed it wasn't a regular sheet of lined paper, but it was one ripped from the very same journal I'd first found the address. I knew then that this is what I came for, and read the note eagerly:

'_Adelynn Jae Christoph-_

_If you are reading this, then inevitably something terrible has happened to me. My greatest concern is not what fate has befallen me, but your well-being. I knew I would never be at peace if I wasn't completely sure of your safety, and therefore decided to find a secure apartment for you to reside in as you chose what your best course of action would be. Don't worry about the expense; that is already taken care of for as long as you decide to stay here. Please refrain from telling anyone at headquarters about this apartment, as it will stir up unwanted attention and perhaps place you in greater danger than you are in now. Light Yagami is in fact Kira, and of this I am absolutely certain. If anything should happen to me in the process of catching this murderer, my role will be carried on by one of my two successors from the Wammy's House orphanage, of which I am certain you are aware of. Kira will be caught, and the world will move on. It is my most sincere hope that you will never have to read this note; but if the time comes when you do look this over, I beg your forgiveness. There's nothing more I can ask of you than to carry on with your life, no matter the outcome of our situation. Please forgive me.'_

I backed up slowly and sank onto the couch, my thoughts racing. There was no doubt in my mind that this note had been written before L's death by him personally, and I felt the gaping hole in my chest throb painfully. He really did know he was in danger, and yet he made sure that I was completely safe instead of protecting his own life, which I viewed as much more important than mine. My eyes filled with tears as I registered this selfless act, and I reread the note. There was so much left to be questioned, and that I realized would never truly get an answer. Everything I'd been feeling up to this point threatened to burst forward in a fresh wave of tears, and yet I somehow found the willpower to blink them back. My body felt like it was about to completely shut down, and my head spun with the effort of reigning my emotions back in. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, not even realizing that as I sat there hours were slipping by, and my mind gradually slipped towards sleep…

**--**

**A/N: What do you think? Exciting? Much of this chapter's plot was my wonderful friend Kelly's [shapeshifter's] idea, and I wanted to thank her once again for pointing me in the right direction for this chapter. :D**

**Now, this is the first time I've ever answered to replies at the end of a story (since this is my first FF story...), but I think it's a cool thing to do for everyone, since there isn't a reply link to a lot of the reviews I've been receiving. **

**Marisol Akyri-** I hope this was a bit of a surprising turn-around, but there's more to come. Be prepared! :3

**Orohippus-** Thank you; I wasn't really sure if her emotions were going to come out as strongly as I wanted them to, but I'm glad you liked them!

**ownpersonalhell-** Oh, Caitlyn dear. What would I ever do without you? I'm happy that everyone seems to care for Adelynn almost as much as I do. Makes me feel useful! Heh.

**Miorochi-** I agree, if I were in Adelynn's position I'd have beaten the crap out of all of them. ^_^

**crazyasian12- **Have I ever told you that I love your username? I hope Myw didn't hit you with that hammer, or else you wouldn't be able to read this! Don't worry, Light's going to get his by the end of this story.

**shapeshifter-** Wow, long review. I hope the answers I've sen you on Gaia were sufficient. Hope you liked this part; I'm looking forward to your next review... Thanks for all your help, dear.

**Midnight Mel-** It makes me glad to see that you and others are relating to Adelynn; I've tried to make her as real as I could. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! And Adelynn will have many chances to challenge Ligh in the future. Be sure of that.

**The Blonde One-** That's extremely true, Light could never be anywhere near as great as our dear L. ^_^ Thank you!


	24. Promise

****Song references: 'Pain' by Three Days Grace**

**'Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year' by Fall Out Boy**

**Part Twenty-Four - Promise**

My eyes snapped open and I sat bolt upright, panic quickly coursing through my veins. I looked around once at the room I was in, and then sighed in relief, remembering where I was. I tended to do that a lot these days: panic before actually having a reason. My nerves and the stress from the past few days really didn't help things, either…

Shaking my head to clear out these unwanted thoughts, I sat up and wrapped my arms around my knees. It was almost as freezing in the apartment as it was at headquarters, and I almost grinned. Some things never change.

There was a dull pain in the back of my head which I immediately recognized as a headache, probably coming from the stress and emotional strain I'd been put through these past few days.

The hollow ache, the emptiness I'd felt before, had still not gone away, and I tried to distract myself from thinking about the young detective that I dearly missed. Distraction was almost impossible, though; everything I looked at reminded me of who I'd lost in one way or another. After all, L had been the one who'd literally given me this apartment, so I'd be safe once he… left. There are just some reminders that can't be pushed away.

Despite knowing that he had done this because he cared for me, I felt absolutely horrible. Maybe if he'd focused more on catching Kira, more commonly known as Light Yagami, than making sure I'd be safe, then he might still be alive now.

I grabbed the journal page off of the coffee table next to me, handling it delicately as if it was the most important thing in the world. And to me, it was.

I reread the note for what had to be the hundredth time, and tried to ignore the guilt threatening to consume me. The page was beginning to feel quite fragile, from me folding and unfolding it so many times since I'd found it. I'd practically memorized it by now, and stared at it absentmindedly, taking in the now familiar handwriting.

A shrill ringing cut through the silence and I gave a start, almost ripping the page in my hands. I took a deep breath to steady myself and reached into my pocket, taking out the emergency cell phone I'd just barely remembered to grab before departing headquarters.

"Hello?" I said tonelessly, and then cringed, holding the cell phone away from my ears. Misa's excited babbling could be heard from a few feet away, and I sighed. Holding the cellular device to my ear again, I said loudly, "Misa!"

Her incessant rambling stopped for a moment, and then she said meekly, "Sorry, Adelynn-chan."

I sighed once more and said, "It's alright. What did you want?" I wondered if that sounded rude, but really didn't care. I'd be rid of everyone at headquarters soon, including Misa.

"We're all worried about you," she murmured, and I realized she had taken offense to my snapping. "Are you alright? You've been gone for a while."

Confused, I said, "I can't have been gone that long." The room was dimly lit, and looked exactly the same as when I'd arrived. "What time is it?"

"Um, around… eight in the morning."

I blinked, and said, "Hold on a sec."

Placing the cell phone on the coffee table, I crossed over to a window and pulled back the thick black curtain, immediately cringing back from the bright light flooding into the room. 'How long have I been asleep?' I wondered. I must have drifted off somewhere around eleven or twelve last night, and now it was eight. So, roughly seven to eight hours? That was more than I'd gotten in a long while…

I almost laughed at my own stupidity. I should've checked in with everyone at headquarters; of course they'd be concerned as to where I was. Going to a funeral and then disappearing for hours on end… I would've jumped to the same conclusion as they all undoubtedly did: suicide. Even though I'd unconsciously thought about it, I knew I never would go through with it. Once upon a time I would've; but, I'd made a promise to myself and to L that I'd move on. No matter how hard things seemed, I could move on… right?

I pushed these thoughts from my head and walked back to the phone. "Misa?" I heard her repeat her question to me and said, "Yeah, I'm alright."

I could hear the doubt in her voice as she said, "Adelynn… you know you can talk to me. Please don't hide."

I didn't answer her, and after a few moments she gave up and instead asked, "Where are you? Everyone was afraid that something had happened to you, I mean, you seemed pretty upset… and we hadn't heard from you…"

"I'm fine. Really." I repeated, "I'm just at an… old friend's house."

I inwardly grinned at what an ironic statement that was, and heard Misa answering someone on her side of the phone. Hearing Light in the background made me want to scream, but then Misa asked, "Well, when are you coming home? We want to make sure you're alright."

Rolling my eyes, I thought, 'Do I really look that miserable?'

"I'll be coming back shortly." That was all I said, and I heard Misa sigh in relief.

"Good. Do you want someone to come pick you up?"

"No," I said hurriedly, "I'll walk."

I heard disapproval in her voice as she said, "Alright. See you soon, Adelynn-chan. Don't take too long."

I snapped my phone shut and lay back down on the couch, trying to figure out what to say to them once I got back. I really didn't want to make a scene about leaving, but with Misa there it was practically inevitable.

A few moments later I sat up, absentmindedly rubbing my left forearm. Realizing my old habit, I froze, and lifted up the sleeve of my gray and black striped jacket. I could just barely see the white scars running along the length of my equally white forearm, and I closed my eyes, remembering when L had first seen them. He'd been upset, and very much disappointed. I remembered the promise I'd made to him: that I'd never harm myself in any way ever again. Judging by the assumption everyone had made at headquarters, I wondered if I really was capable of reverting back to that miserable shell I once was.

Shaking my head vigorously to clear it of these negative thoughts, I got up and headed to the exit, key in hand.

*******

"Adelynn-chan!"

I had just barely walked through the entrance to headquarters when I was tackled by Misa, and almost fell to the ground. Steadying myself, I half-grinned.

"I'm back. And in one piece. Feeling better now?"

Misa genuinely smiled and said, "Yes. Much better."

She grabbed my arm and led me to the lobby, all the while bugging me about where I'd been. I refused to say anything but 'I was at a friend's house', and she soon gave up.

I was greeted by the rest of the investigators once I got in, and I grinned half-heartedly in return.

Matsuda ran up to me and said excitedly, "Adelynn! We were all worried about you; we were all afraid you had…" He turned a bright red and said quietly, "Gotten hurt or something."

I shook my head. "Nope. I'm fine. Really."

I expected them to ask where I'd been, but no one did. We all stood there awkwardly for a moment, and I shuffled my feet uncomfortably. "Well, I'll be going up to my room if anyone needs me…"

Misa jumped up and said, "I'll come with you!"

My intention for going back to headquarters in the first place was to pack my bag and tell everyone that I'd be leaving, but once I got there I couldn't find the right words to say it.

So instead, I walked back to my ninth floor bedroom with Misa, contemplating ways to tell them.

"Misa…" I said thoughtfully, and she looked over to me.

"Yeah?"

'Here goes,' I thought. "I'll be… leaving headquarters. Soon."

She stopped walking and stared at me. I stopped too, and she said, "What? Where are you gonna go?"

"A friend's house." I replied, and had to force myself not to laugh as Misa looked at me irately.

"Don't you trust me?!" Misa said, childish immaturity lacing her high-pitched voice.

I wanted to say, 'No, especially not if you're siding with Light,' but instead said, "Misa, I just have to leave. To… get away from everything, and everyone, that reminds me of what happened. It's nothing personal."

She certainly seemed offended and said, "That's not fair! I mean, who'll I talk to? Everyone here is so boring!" Huffing childishly, she stomped her foot and pouted.

"Like I said, it's nothing personal. I just can't stay here anymore. Anyway… weren't you all planning on moving out of headquarters eventually? I'm just getting a head start."

I could see Misa thinking about how to argue with that, and she replied, "Well, you could always come stay with me and Light!"

Resisting the urge to gag, I said, "Ha. No, thanks."

We'd reached my room by then, and Misa followed me inside, muttering angrily.

"Can I come visit you, then?"

I paused and thought before saying, "Maybe one day. When things are less hectic."

Ignoring Misa's complaints, I crossed to my closet and continued packing the suitcase I'd left out yesterday. When I'd almost finished, I heard Misa say stubbornly, "It looks like someone went on a rampage."

I walked out to see what she was talking about, and laughed scornfully as I saw the mess I'd made before discovering the key. Misa eyed me with concern, but didn't say anything.

Dragging my suitcase out of the closet, I grabbed what I needed of the mess and shoved it in the bag, not caring if it was neat or not.

Misa looked at me despairingly and murmured, "Please don't go."

I looked her directly in the eyes, and felt bad for her as I said, "I'm sorry. I have to."

She nodded glumly and said, "I guess I knew it would come to this. But… can I ask you one thing?" I nodded and she continued, "If Ryuzaki-san wasn't dead, would you have stayed?"

Averting my eyes, I thought of what I should tell her. There was no use, really, of denying it. If they hadn't figured out by now that our relationship hadn't been strictly professional, I doubted they ever would.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. "Yes."

I could sense Misa's sympathetic gaze, and turned away from her. "Come on," I said, grabbing my suitcase and dragging it out into the hallway. Misa followed silently behind me.

When we got to the lobby, I left my suitcase out in the hallway, and walked in with a pouting Misa.

Debating what to say, I crossed over to the center of the room, keeping my eyes trained on the floor. Everyone was in the room, and the small crowd didn't make me any less nervous.

"Misa? What's wrong?" I heard Light say, and looked up. Misa walked over to him and crossed her arms, a hurt look on her face.

"Adelynn-chan is leaving." She said, and everyone in the room glanced to me. I heard Matsuda begin to protest, but he quieted down when I glared impatiently at him.

Looking to Light, I explained, "Well, there really is no reason for me to stay here anymore. You were all discussing yesterday about how we were going to have a new headquarters, and we could all live on our own. So… I'm just getting a head start."

I could see that no one really believed that explanation, and Misa tugged on Light's shirt, saying, "Please, Light, don't let her leave! You can tell her to stay with us, right?"

Before I could correct Misa and tell her that there was no way I'd ever listen to that son of a bitch, Light answered, "No, Misa. There's nothing I can do. Adelynn looks as if she's already made up her mind, and knowing her we won't be able to change it." He then looked to me, "Although, I really do wish you would stay. We could always find you some place near us to live in, and there's no question as to whether or not you're allowed to help with the case. You're always welcome with us."

Light looked very sincere about what he was saying, but I could sense the hidden meaning to his words. He wanted me to stick around so that he could keep an eye on me, to make sure that I didn't mess up any of his future plans.

My face and voice betrayed no emotion as I said, "No, thanks. I've already got an old friend that I'm going to go live with, and I wouldn't be able to be of much use to you all." I looked Light directly in the eyes and said, "Anyway, I know Kira will be caught. It's only a matter of time."

I had to force myself not to smirk as I saw his eyes harden in understanding of my warning, and he said, "It's a shame that you're leaving so soon; you're beginning to sound like Ryuzaki." Only I could hear the underlying menace in that statement, and the unsaid, 'Hope you don't end up like him.'

*******

"Misa?" I mumbled, "Can you please let go of me now?"

The young model released her vice-like grip on my arm as soon as I asked this, and I rubbed it gingerly. She'd been holding on to me for the past half an hour in an attempt to hinder my departure, and I was through with putting up with it. Grabbing my light suitcase, I turned and faced everyone who'd been with me for the past three and a half months.

I shuffled my feet uncomfortably, not quite sure of what to say. Misa, near tears, tackled me once again and begged me not to go. Pushing her gently away, I told her it was for the best.

With my suitcase and a small backpack in hand, I walked away, truly free for the first time in months.

*******

I'd quickly gotten used to living on my own. It was quite a change, naturally, seeing as I'd always been residing with at least two people. Of course, I had been alone for that brief time before I was arrested, but I didn't count that. Back then, I wasn't willing to accept the fact that I had no one left. Now I openly embraced it, and was contently living a new life.

At least, that's what I forced myself to believe. In truth, it could've just been my denial driving me slowly insane.

I tried to forget that almost every night I woke up screaming, clutching at the empty hole in my chest.

I tried to ignore the feeling of guilt and despair that consumed me whenever I wasn't occupying my mind with busywork.

I tried to tell myself that there was a point in me carrying on; when in truth I could see none.

I tried to remember the promises I'd made to keep myself out of harm's way, but was slowly denying them…

As I absentmindedly cleaned the apartment's already spotless kitchen floor, I thought of that promise. I realized now just how pointless that had been, and that words were just that: words. What was the point in keeping a promise when you had nothing, no one, to make sure it's carried through? There was no legal contract that said I had to do anything I'd ever said I would, and right now anything but this numb, fake existence I was living sounded great. 'Pain, without love. Pain, I can't get enough. Pain, I like it rough because I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all…'

"No!" I shouted, speaking the first real word I had in a week or so. I rested my forehead against the kitchen tile, the only sound being the rhythmic pulse in my ears. I wrapped my arms across my chest and held myself together, trying to banish these thoughts from my head.

"No, no, _no,_" I kept repeating to myself. I couldn't' go down this path, not again. "You made a promise!" I muttered, and I wondered if I wasn't only just talking to myself. So many promises had been made and broken, and I could feel the weight of each of them as I sat up and blinked back tears.

'The best part of believe is the 'lie'.' I vaguely recalled hearing that somewhere, and blinked. How ironic, that just now I realize the full gravity of those words. Everything I believed that would happen, or that I believed I'd always have, had been put to the test. And I'd come out of it with nothing.

I'd always believed that justice would prevail, as corny as that sounded. Now I wasn't so sure.

Standing up slowly, I put the towels I'd been using in the sink and crossed over to the bedroom, which was almost as clean as the spotless kitchen. I hadn't let anything get out of place or even the slightest bit disturbed; the busywork kept my mind off of everything, most of the time. I grabbed a black long-sleeve shirt and some faded black jeans from the closet, and entered the spacious bathroom connected to the bedroom. I changed absentmindedly out of my work clothes to the outfit I'd just piced out, and began to exit when I passed the large mirror over the double-sink.

I hadn't really noticed how much different I looked until now. In the past few weeks, purple, bruise-like shadows had formed underneath my blue-gray eyes, which now looked tired and defeated. My naturally straight, dark-brown hair looked messy and hastily put up into a ponytail. There was no color to my face at all, and I wondered if I really were as good as dead. I did look like a zombie, after all.

So much for the whole 'moving on' concept. I was irrevocable residing in the past, unable to forget what I'd lost. I felt it everywhere I went, in everything I did. I was surprised that I hadn't had a total nervous breakdown by now.

Prying my gaze from the once familiar creature I saw in the mirror, I crossed over to the bedroom doorway and leaned against it, thinking of work I could do that wouldn't lead me to think of… anything.

I was pondering the possibility of accidentally flooding the bathroom when I froze, my heart practically stopping in my chest. Had I imagined it… or did I just hear a door opening and closing? I peered out into the hallway, and didn't see anything. I couldn't hear anything, either, and I stepped out of my bedroom, hands balled up into fists just in case I needed to protect myself.

With my thoughts racing, I remembered that I'd left my phone sitting on the kitchen counter, and that there was an abundance of appliances to use as makeshift weapons…

I heard something rustling in the entryway by the front door, and knew someone was here. But who? No one else had the key, or knew where I was. 'Could it be Light? Did he follow me after I left headquarters?' I shook my head. No. I'd made sure that no one had been following me. And the cell phone I had was untraceable, so that option was out…

Slipping quietly into the kitchen, I grabbed the nearest thing I could find, which to my dismay was a wooden rolling pin. There were two doors in the kitchen: the one I'd come in, directly across from the bedroom; and one that led to the entry hallway, where I could hear someone moving about.

Even while standing in the kitchen, I heard the front door's lock click and something heavy was placed on the table. With my heart beating frantically, I exited the door through which I came, and sidled along the wall, preparing to jump the corner and attack whoever was on the other side.

Before I could fully prepare myself for the attack, I saw a tall figure step forward and lunged at it, meaning to hit whoever it was with as much force as I could. Almost immediately, the rolling pin was yanked out of my grip and I resorted to using my fists. I landed a good blow to the intruder's jaw, but then was almost effortlessly spun around so that I was facing the wall, trapped. The man, I assumed, had both of my wrists in one of his hands, and the other held the rolling pin I'd meant to use.

I flinched as I heard the object being thrown to the floor, but then realized that I wasn't about to be hurt if the weapon had been discarded. Trying not to sound as frightened as I felt, I said, "Let me go."

To my astonishment, my wrists were released, and I turned around slowly. I barely had time to register who those dark eyes and perpetually unruly black hair belonged to when I was pinned roughly against the wall, and L's lips finally, finally found mine.

**--**

**A/N: Review! Review! Review! ^_^**

**ownpersonalhell:** Heh, thanks. I was worrying about whether or not the swearing would exceed a 'T' rating, but I am thinking about changing it to 'M' in future chapters...

**Midnight Mel: **I would have loved for Adelynn to slap Light this chapter, but I couldn't have her do it. Yet. Mwahaha. Maybe later.

**The Blonde One: **Hehe, sorry. L is a very eloquent character, after all. Hope you liked this chapter!

**KaiSea:** I wouldn't want to be around her when she's angry, either. I guess she laughs because she's so... through with the crap she's gone through. And she could be going insane. ^_^ I've always been so afraid that I'd make L out of character, but I'm happy that so far I haven't. The inspiration for the letter came from my friend Kelly, and the inspiration for this whole story in general came from my depression about L being killed off in the anime & manga series. It's my catharsis, really. I hope you like the rest of the story as much as you've liked this first half!

**crazyasian12: **L's selfless because, well, he's L. Haha. Please don't cry, he's finally back! ^^

**Marisol Akyri:** Even more unexpected things! Well, actually, no. You all probably expected this. Because seriously, do you think I could kill L off and then keep him away? Nope nope nope. :D

**Miorochi: **He's back! He's back!

**shapeshifter: **G.I.N.A.S.F.S., correct? Wootwoot. One of my favorites. I have a strange addiction to Gaia as well... hmm. Thanks for your review. As off topic as it was, I enjoyed it immensely. Haha. I know you've been waiting for him to come back... :3

**Please review for me, everyone! L's back! -happy dance-**

**-Sydney**


	25. Compromise

**Part 25 – Compromise**

Everything felt so perfect in this moment; L was here, alive, and I was wrapped securely in his strong arms. Even without questioning how and why, everything seemed to right itself, and I was overwhelmed with a feeling I never thought I'd experience again. L was alive… here… with me.

Just as soon as I realized that I had almost just hit the man I thought was dead with a wooden rolling pin, I must have also forgotten how to breathe. I felt my weak knees give out on me, and it was with a content, protected feeling that I sank slowly into darkness.

*******

I could tell that I was awake, but I was too tired to actually make the effort to get up. I lay there, on what I assumed to be the living room couch, my tired thoughts buzzing around in absently in my mind. Shifting slightly, I realized that my entire body was sore, and I inwardly groaned. 'Great,' I thought, 'Just what I needed, to get sick. Haven't I been through enough?' I yawned quietly, willing myself to fall back asleep. I could sense someone's gaze as I lay there, and then everything came back to me.

"L?!" I sat up quickly, my thoughts racing. I heard a low chuckle from behind me and turned around.

There, sitting on the couch to my left, was L, the ghost of a smirk upon his pale face. He sat with his knees pulled up to his chest, his raven black hair hanging untidily over his perpetually wide eyes. When my gaze met with his, he raised a thumb to his mouth, his amused expression turning apprehensive. I stared at him wonderingly, millions of questions begging to be asked. But instead I sat there, being content in the face that I was once again able to get lost in his dark eyes. I could feel the space between us, and wanted to curl up next to him and wrap my arms around his thin waist.

Without moving or taking his eyes off of me, he said, "You know, if someone had truly broken in with the intent to cause you harm, I don't believe a rolling pin would stop them."

Just hearing his matter-of-fact voice again made me grin like an idiot, "Next time I'll use a mallet."

"Your fist certainly did well, I must say."

It was then that I pried my gaze from his and noticed a purple bruise just under his jaw; it was such a contrast to his pale white skin it was a wonder I hadn't noticed it before.

I clapped a hand to my mouth, "I'm so sorry!"

L half-grinned, keeping his eyes focused on my face. I had so many questions to ask him, but didn't know where or how to begin.

"Why are you here?" I blurted out suddenly, deciding it was best just to ask.

With his thumb still pressed to his lips he said, "To be with you, of course."

I flushed in embarrassment, "No, that's not what I meant. _How_ are you here?" I tried keeping my voice steady as I whispered, "I watched you die… There's no way you can be here."

L's voice seemed quieter, too, when he said, "Not everything's as it seems, love."

He stood up from the couch and moved to sit beside me, and I said, "I've heard that before. In a dream…" I looked to the young detective now sitting less than a foot away from. His dark eyes bored into mine, and something clicked together in my slightly dazed thoughts, "That's what this must be. A dream."

That made perfect sense; although, are dreams normally this realistic? And since when did I start having decent dreams? For the past few weeks I'd had nonstop nightmares, which contributed to the lack of sleep I'd been getting.

My gaze traveled to L's, and I felt a jolt of electricity run through my veins, and I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around the young man. I knew that this was a dream, it had to be, and I knew that once I woke up I'd be a complete mess, but currently I didn't care. This dream could go on forever and I wouldn't mind. It was better than obsessively cleaning the apartment at any rate…

"This seems to be a rather good dream, thought," I mused to the dreamt up L, "There's been no dying, yet."

It was an awkward thing to say, and I saw L look at me in concern, "And there will be no longer."

My heart fluttered at this, and then I looked away. "You can't know that. When I wake up, you'll be gone. It happens every time. Although, usually, you're already dead by this point." I thought about that for a moment, and then added, "So, maybe I won't wake up. I like this better."

There was a moment's pause, and L said quietly, "I can assure you that you're awake, Adelynn."

I shook my head, "It's either that I'm asleep, or I'm dead. Although if the latter is the case, I'm sure I'd be haunting Light, and not just sitting here."

"Adelynn." I turned to face L, whose expression was slightly angered, "You're not asleep, and certainly not dead." He took my face in his hands to that I had no choice but to look right at him.

"Sure, sure." I murmured, wanting to believe him but not quite able to. He sensed this, and it looked as if he were about to smile.

He brushed the tips of his fingers along my cheek, and wrapped one of his long arms around my waist. Resting his forehead against mine, he kissed the tip of my nose, a grin tugging at his lips. "Perhaps a certain amount of persuasion will do the trick?"

I gulped, "Persuasion?"

L kept his dark eyes trained on my face as he leaned down slowly towards me, and I felt my heart rate speeding up before he even reached me. He ran a hesitant hand across my cheekbone, and rested it on the side of my neck. His hand was cold compared to my rapidly heating up body, and I shivered from his touch. He grabbed my legs and shifted our bodies so that he was lying on top of me, gaze still unwavering from mine. He brushed his lips over the tip of my nose, and then kissed the corner of my now-trembling mouth.

His nose skimmed my jaw line, and rested just under my ear, where he playfully licked, chuckling from my sharp intake of breath. He moved his face back so that I was staring into his bottomless eyes, and he carefully lowered his lips to mine. It felt like my body was on fire, every rapid beat of my heart sending another electric jolt through my veins.

L had one hand pinning my arm to the couch and the other was moving slowly down from my neck, roaming freely down my side. He smirked again when I let out a ragged breath, unable to get the needed oxygen to my deprived lungs.

It was then that I realized that this couldn't be a dream; I had to be awake, if I could feel like this and completely register that fact. I smiled and wrapped my free arm around his neck, pulling him closer to me. I could feel every curve of his body against mine, every touch leaving a lingering tingling sensation running through my body. I almost protested when he pulled away, but I saw the concern in his eyes as he said, "Please don't cry."

I blinked, confused, and realized that I really had been crying, and my eyes stung as I blinked to clear them of the evidence. 'Damn delayed tears,' I thought, and grinned apologetically. I raised a slightly trembling hand to wipe them away, and then sighed.

"I think I believe you now," I breathed, heart hammering rapidly. I could feel the rise and fall of his chest as he silently chuckled, and gently wiped away the remnants of my tears. My hands still shook as I reached up and brushed away the midnight black bangs hanging over his onyx eyes. Ever observant, he stated,

"You haven't been getting much sleep."

There was no use denying it, and I shook my head slowly. With an unreadable expression he stood up and held out his hand. After a hesitating moment I took it and also stood up, realizing just how weak my knees were as I stumbled forward into his open arms. Seemingly effortlessly he swooped down and lifted my legs off the floor, holding me to his chest. I flushed slightly and looked up at him, noting the apparent amusement in his eyes.

L walked with me towards the bedroom, dropping me lightly on the bed and sitting in his usual awkward position next to me. He placed one hand on the small of my back, and the other he lifted to his mouth, chewing on his thumbnail in thought. I felt my face growing red as his gaze never left my face, and mentally kicked myself for being so easily embarrassed.

"You're blushing." He noted, and I looked away.

"I suppose I am." I muttered, and felt even more flustered when L lifted the hand that wasn't on my back to turn my face towards his.

"There's no need to be embarrassed," he murmured, pitch black eyes boring into mine, "It looks quite beautiful, actually."

I tried to keep from grinning like an idiot, but the familiar way his words made me feel made me fail miserably. "I missed you," I stated, grinning goofily.

"I missed you, as well." He replied, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, "Watari was beginning to feel quite disheartened at my lack of productivity. He compared me to a lost puppy dog, actually."

I couldn't help but laugh at the mental picture, and then said excitedly, "Watari? So he's okay? Where is he?"

L grinned at my reaction, "Yes, he is alive and well. And he's currently in England, at the Wammy's House orphanage. Am I correct in assuming that you're already aware of this establishment?"

I nodded, thinking back to the note he'd left me, "You mentioned something about your successors being there. I figure that it was a place they raised talented kids, like you."

"You could certainly put it that way." L answered, and pulled me in to kiss just under my jaw. There was a question that I'd wanted to ask, but couldn't remember what it was when his hands tangled in my hair, holding me steady as his lips moved silently at the base of my collarbone.

My heart felt as if it was about to explode from the joy and relief I was feeling, but then the impossibility of the situation began to sink in once again.

"L…" I whispered, mentally scolding myself when my voice trembled slightly.

L heard this and pulled back, laying one hand on the side of my face. "Yes?"

I took a deep breath to steady myself and tried to focus on what I was saying, not the eway his intense gaze never seemed to falter and his long fingers traced small patterns into my back. My voice was surprisingly strong as I began, "This is all so surreal… How can you be here? I saw you… die. And Watari, he was dead, too." L looked as if he was about to reply, but I interrupted him, earning a slightly resentful look from the detective, "You've been gone so long… It feels like at any moment you're just going to disappear again."

This silenced his previous answer, and he removed his one hand from my back and brought his thumb back to his lips, chewing thoughtfully on the nail. I could tell he was trying to pick his words carefully, and the thumb of his other hand rubbed nervous circles into my cheek.

"Adelynn, I don't believe myself capable of leaving your presence for so long ever again," He rested his forehead against mine, "And without you, I'd certainly be dead now."

"What?" I murmured, unable to see how I'd ever been able to help him.

"If you hadn't warned me of the meeting between Light and Rem, then I would've played right into his hands. But as it so happens, now Light is playing into mine." There was a smug smirk on his face, and I blinked in confusion.

"I still don't follow."

L nodded, obviously trying to figure out an easy way to word his explanation, "After you left the day you'd told me of their meeting, I went to speak with the shinigami, Rem." I shivered involuntarily at the memory of her, and L wrapped his arms protectively around my waist.

"Where is the shinigami? We all figured she was dead; she disappeared after you… died."

L tightened his hold on my waist and said, "I'll get to that." I nodded in response. L had a blank expression on his pale face as he said, "Rem admitted that she was aiding Light as a way to protect Misa from being arrested and executed, and so was planning on writing my name into her notebook. But by killing me to lengthen Misa's lifespan, Rem herself would have died. So this led to a compromise: she'd spare our lives and in turn she'd live and protect Misa from the side-lines."

I realized that throughout his explanation I'd been holding my breath, and I exhaled slowly. "Wow," I said quietly, "Why does Rem want to protect Misa so much?"

I looked up into L's eyes as he said, "Because Rem loves Misa." He paused for a moment, and began in a slightly softer voice, "Love makes us all do things we normally would not do."

I had to restrain myself from saying something foolish in response, and asked, "So… you won't be arresting Misa?"

L closed his eyes, "No. Even though she is the second Kira, she's being manipulated most disgustingly by Light. And once he is caught, I will be sure her memories of her involvement will be erased from her life. Rem wants Light to be caught as much as we do, and will assist us if necessary."

I still felt as if I were missing something about this explanation, but disregarded it. Instead, I asked, "Then what was with the scene in the lobby?" I refrained from telling him that I'd fallen apart as I'd held his supposedly dead body in my arms, because I had a feeling that he already had a general idea of why I'd asked.

But with the way his impossibly wide eyes hardened, I knew he was silently beating himself up. I buried my face in his chest and wrapped my arms around his neck, and smiled when he raised one hand and stroked my hair gently.

"Are you familiar with Shakespeare's 'Romeo & Juliet'?" He asked suddenly, and I nodded. Who hadn't? L continued, "The poison Juliet uses to fake her death slowed down her pulse and made it seem as if she were truly dead. If you remember correctly, then you'd recall that I placed a large amount of sugar in my coffee cup that day?"

I smirked, although confused, and said, "Yes. You always do."

L silently chuckled and rested his cheek on my head, "Watari and I had arranged it so that the very poison Juliet used was in that sugar, and I'd drink it at the time I deemed correct. And so, when the lights went out, our plan went into effect, and made it seem as if the shinigami had killed Watari and me."

My breath caught in my throat, and I had to blink back tears. I was so stupid! Why hadn't I thought of that before? With a sudden comprehension, I knew that he really was here, and I wasn't having some sort of nervous breakdown. I hugged him tighter, and asked, "What about your bodies?"

The question might not have made sense in normal conversation, but L replied automatically, "Some contacts at Wammy's House helped arrange a swift departure from the funeral home." He didn't go into specifics, but I was fine with that.

"Is that where you've been staying?" I felt L nod in response. I knew then that he'd stayed away for those few weeks after his supposed 'death' because he didn't want to mess things up and reveal his existence once again until he knew everything was safe. I felt slightly irritated, but let it go. At least he was back.

There was silence for a while then, and I realized that I'd been unknowingly crying again when I felt the tears begin to stain the white cotton fabric of his shirt.

He looked down at me in concern, and kissed away the annoying tears. I grinned apologetically. "I'm sorry. I'm just so… happy that you're alive." 'Happy' was the understatement of the year, and I felt my heart begin to pound erratically when L brushed his lips lightly against mine.

"Don't apologize," he said softly, his dark eyes holding a certain pain in their depths, "If it weren't for you, I'd have nothing to live for. And… I'd be dead right now, which means that I owuldn't be able to see the demise of the bastard who has caused you so much pain."

I gave a watery chuckle, still teary-eyed, and leaned up to hug his neck and whisper in his ear, "I love you."

I felt him tense up in surprise, and bit my lower lip, waiting to see his reaction. A few long seconds passed, and he turned my face gently towards his. There was an indefinable excitement in his eyes, a raw happiness that seemed to make all traces of worry vanish from his face as a genuine smile lit up his features. "I love you, as well." He said softly, and crushed his lips to mine.

**--**

**A/N: How'd you all like the story of his survival? Review please! I'd love to see what you all think :3 The last few mini-paragraphs made me want to swoon. Hehe. ^^**

**KaiSea- **^^ There's so many ways I was going to bring him back, so I hope you find this one acceptable. If you ever needed help, I'd gladly help you. Are you going to post your story soon? I don't believe you have it up yet…? Heh, Misa. She's a fun character. I was going to just make her a complete fool, because I dislike her to a large extent, but I figured I'd keep her at least slightly intelligent. Haha.

**The Blonde One- **That was my favorite part of the last chapter; I would've loved to see her hitting him with a rolling pin. Either him or Light. Or both. Haha. What'd you think of this chapter?

**Neon Knightly- **Sorry this took a bit longer than was expected; but I hope what happens makes up for it! :3

**tHePuNkPriiNcEzs- **It seems a lot of people were worried. ^^ Hopefully you like her reaction?

**your little shapeshifter- **Wooden rolling pins! Yay! Hehe, I had to put it in there. I think I may draw a picture of it, too. :D Did you like this one as much?

**Miss. Patty-Cake Joy Dazzel**- L is in loooooove! Haha.

**Miorochi- **I know! I was so excited. Did you like this explanation?

**Orohippus**- Sorry. I love misleading people, even though it ticks me off when I'm tricked by a story, too. ^^ I'll try to keep the trickery to a minimum from now on –crosses fingers behind back- :D

**crazyasian12**- Sorry this wasn't up very fast; but I'm glad that everyone's so happy L's back!

**Midnight Mel**- I don't mind the swearing; I'm a pretty avid swear-er myself. Hehe. ^^ I'd love to see L kick the crap out of Light. You know, that may just happen. We'll see. –insert shifty ninja eyes here- Adelynn may take her anger out on Light, too… :3

**Jillian Jiggs- **Glad you're so happy he's back! ^^ Your review made me giggle. :D

**Marisol Akyri**- Did you like these answers? I really hope so

**Review please! I'm not certain where this will be heading as of yet; but I do have a general idea, and once I get writing, I'll probably get some more ideas. But if you guys have any suggestions, feel free to PM me! ^^**

**Before I forget; I was thinking about switching this story's rating from 'T' to 'M'. Tell me what you all think of this! I've never written a lemon or anything of the sort before, so I'm kind of on the borderline about it. And it could be weird writing it in first person, too. But if enough of you want to see one, and agree with the rating change, then I will do it. ;D **

**-Sydney **


	26. All Order Needs Chaos

**Part Twenty-Six – All Order Needs Chaos**

In the complete silence of the living room, Adelynn asleep by his side, L noticed something. Or rather, the absence of something.

It was the god forsaken tolling of the bells. Their incessant melody had been driving all other thoughts from his mind, forcing him to near the brink of insanity. He'd believed they'd never go away; had been at least 99 percent positive of it, at least. Some days it was just another unyielding, nagging memory resurfacing itself after hours of attentive research or investigative work. Other times, it was a forceful reminder of what had been taken from him, and the forefront of his mind. Living like this had become habitual over time, and he'd find ways to use his less needed or rarely wanted emotions to contribute to the betterment of society. By solving cold cases from a young age, the elusive stranger became recognized as the 'world's greatest detective', L. He'd gained recognition in much the same way as Kira had; only the differences were as apparent as day and night, hot and cold, black and white…

The difference was justice. Not 'divine intervention' as this new so-called God was manipulating. Only the people of the world, the society as a whole, could change the way things were. By inspiring fear, this Kira had done nothing but made families and friends alike wary of their own faults. Error was a part of life, as selfishness was a normal trait of a human being. Had any of this been different, where would the world be? Would it know everything it does now? Without struggle, without human slip-ups, the world would be in a constant battle against itself. No problems equals no solutions.

Kira was taking away all that the world needed to progress.

L understood perfectly well why Kira was doing what he was, and why he had so many avid followers. The elimination of any threat and the promise of a crime-free world was indeed a tempting offer. But by instilling fear to keep order, there would be chaos. Life wouldn't be worth what it was now. No one was perfect.

And, after all, Kira was a murderer. There was absolutely no denying that fact. Murder was murder, despite the reason. The killing must be stopped at all costs, no matter the purity of the original intent. Perfection was something the world was not ready for, and would in reality never be. All order needs chaos…

Chaos had been all the dark-haired detective's life was, until this case had begun. As much sense as it didn't make, it was true. There wasn't chaos as the usual definition was used, but chaos in his mind. He was screaming for something different, something that wouldn't make it seem like all he was good for was solving difficult cases. Although, the detective couldn't imagine anything being any different. He was raised to do this, right? All of his life had been devoted to training to be a genius detective. And he had to do his job. Especially after all that his mentor and, for all intents and purposes, his father Watari had done for him.

Quillish Wammy wasn't L's father, of course. His biological father had been killed, along with his mother, when he was only five years of age. And their death wasn't pretty, as he'd found out during some extra research on the matter. From what he'd gathered, they had been admirable people and parents, the epitome of a good family. He could remember faintly the comfort of his home, the warmth of his mother's embrace… And then, he could remember nothing. Nothing but a feeling of sheer terror and shock, caused by something unbeknownst to him.

There was the tolling of the bells, and the sound of the pouring rain.

Then, there was silence and nothing more. The silence was the reason for his nightmares; the reason he never slept…

The young detective sighed, willing for the sleeping woman beside him to open her eyes. She'd been asleep for just over an hour, and he was already driving himself insane. Although, he couldn't quite blame her for falling asleep on him. After realizing that L really was alive, Adelynn hadn't let him out of her sight, even if it meant depriving herself of much-needed rest. She acted as if one blink of her blue-gray eyes and he would disappear. Once again, L noted that her paranoia was completely justified.

It wasn't that he'd _wanted_ to leave her for those couple of weeks. Especially not with her thinking that he was dead. He'd never felt so bad as he did when he had to stay in England at Wammy's House for that short amount of time. But he'd needed to, to keep her momentarily safe. He'd never do it again, if he could help it.

Now he completely understood Rem's desire to protect Misa. He felt the same way for Adelynn, and would do anything to protect her, even if it meant sacrificing his life. Although it went against everything he'd taught himself his whole life, he'd give up everything to make sure she was safe.

**--**

_The glistening tile of the abandoned room stretched before him like an endless black sea, enclosed by the deep blue of the smooth walls. With impossibly wide, dark eyes, the detective stuffed one hand into his jeans pocket, and raised the other to play with his bottom lip. His unruly black hair covered his pale face partially as his eyes swiveled around the room and landed on the one he'd been searching for. L had known she'd be here; had known without anything but his intuition telling him to look. It was as if what he was about to do had been decided for him, and there was only one way to right the wrongs about to be done. He couldn't mess this meeting up, or it could cost him his life. And perhaps Adelynn's life, too. L's hands balled up into fists. That wasn't going to happen._

_Almost as if she'd been waiting for him to find her, the female shinigami stared at him with wary eyes. L noted the way Rem took a protective stance as soon as she'd noticed him, and the way her eyes narrowed at him as if his very presence offended her. Fingers still playing relentlessly with his lower lip, L glared back challengingly. Neither of the two said anything for a long while, each of them determined not to break the silence, or to back down first._

_"Shinigami," L said tonelessly, addressing the god of death in a boldly informal manner, "I know what you're up to."_

_Rem's eyes narrowed even further, if that was possible, and she said coldly, "There is no other way."_

_L had anticipated this answer, and sighed inwardly. The shinigami woman had let her emotions get the best of her, and now she was susceptible to Light's trickery and therefore completely helpless. What had once been a confident creature was now a vulnerable wreck. Her love for Misa had clouded over every other rational thought, and now Rem could only see and believe the least beneficial alternative. If the young detective was correct, and he usually always was, then what Light had tricked Rem into would only end in Misa's demise as well._

_"What will happen when you write my name into your notebook?" L inquired, observing the death god with carefully expressionless eyes. He knew her answer even before she said it._

_"I will die, and so will you." Rem stated, no hint of doubt in her gravelly voice._

_L nodded once. "I see. And what good will you be to Misa once you are gone? By causing my death, you will ultimately be sacrificing your life." L connected his eyes with Rem's, whose were filled with an undeniable hint of the pain she was trying valiantly to suppress. "Then, two of Light's obstacles will be… eliminated, and he could do as he chooses."_

_Rem's eyes instantly hardened, and her face froze into a permanent grimace. "It's a chance I have to take. If you do not die, then Misa certainly will. I have no intention of letting that happen."_

_"Your efforts would be wasted then," L snapped, irritation lacing his tone, "I can guarantee that no matter what, if we were to die, that Misa would never be safe. Even when I am gone, there are others to take my place. Together, they can solve this case and make sure that Misa and Light will be executed."_

_If Rem had looked vulnerable earlier, then she looked even more so now. Behind her skeletal mask of confidence and justification, she looked like a cornered animal screaming for help. To see such a terrifying creature actually fear the inevitable truth made even L's blood run cold, and he almost shivered at the malice in her voice as she repeated, "There is no other way."_

_With a determined glint in his eyes, L said confidently, "Perhaps we can make a compromise, then."_

_With a startled look on her face, Rem looked over to him questioningly, expression filled with doubt. Taking her silence as a confirmation, L said, "But for this, I request your full honesty and cooperation."_

_Rem hesitated for a minute, her cold gaze locked on his determined one. With certain reluctance, she nodded her head, and L relaxed ever so slightly. He had gotten over the hardest part of this meeting; now he just had to convince her to follow through with his and Watari's plan._

_Without giving it much thought, L said, "Tell me, shinigami, if you were to place your notebook on the ground and someone were to pick it up, would the notebook still be your own?"_

_"Only if I do not willingly relinquish ownership. The note can be used by whoever picks it up, but it will not officially belong to them."_

_"Then, is there any possible way to tell if it is still being owned by its shinigami?"_

_There was a concentrated puzzlement on her face as she deliberated for a moment. "Not that I am aware of." She answered, and L nodded thoughtfully._

_"And would you have any obligation to follow whoever picks up your notebook?"_

_Rem shook her head, "No, as long as it's still my own then I will have no need to follow the human who holds it."_

_"I see." L said smugly, "Problem solved, then."_

_The dark haired detective looked to the shinigami, who was staring, seemingly perplexed, at a spot directly above his head. After a moment of this, she said slowly, "I am supposed to kill you soon… but your lifespan says differently." She looked to his pale face then, and said in a voice that could barely suppress the raw hope she had gotten from seeing his just lengthened lifespan, "What do you have planned, human?"_

_"If there was a way for you to live and carry on protecting Misa, would you be willing to cooperate with me throughout the rest of this investigation?"_

_Still perplexed, and slightly wary, Rem said, "Perhaps."_

_Sensing his victory, L asked, "Would you be willing to part with your notebook, at least until this case is solved?"_

_"If it will protect Misa, then yes. I will do anything."_

_L smirked. "Good."_

**--**

And so their fate was decided. Not only would L and Watari live, but Rem as well.

Light had picked up Rem's notebook after L had 'died' of a heart attack. After seeing L's name written in there, (a fake name of course), Light had taken it and now believed that two of his threats, L and Rem, had been eliminated.

The investigators had moved out of headquarters, and were now conducting their investigation in an apartment that Light and Misa were living in together.

The shinigami Rem would stay on the side-lines of the investigation, never revealing her presence to the investigators, keeping an eye on Misa and making sure she was never in danger. If Rem saw something threatening Misa, she'd report immediately to L, and they'd work together to formulate a plan to get her out of trouble.

For Rem helping L, Misa would not be arrested for being the Second Kira. As promised, L would make sure her memories were completely erased before sending her back out into the world. Of course, she would always need Light. That was something Rem and Misa would need to figure out, in time.

In a few more days, L and Adelynn would be traveling to Wammy's House to meet up with Watari, and also to see his successors, Mello and Near.

Everything was going according to the young detective's plan.

But not even he could sense the danger that was to come.

Who could?

**--**

**A/N: This chapter is pretty short, and for that I apologize. But it does show exactly what L and Rem's compromise was, and that things are beginning to slowly move forward. There wasn't too much L & Adelynn interaction in this one, but I'll make up for that soon. ^^ And about the little foreboding message at the end- I probably won't be touching on that for a while. Don't worry. Yet. The transition into the flashback wasn't all that great, either. I couldn't seem to word it correctly. Hmm.**

**The next chapter will be longer, I promise! **

**Jillian Jiggs-** I'm a hopeless romantic, what can I say? I love cheesy romance stories! Haha. And I'm definitely looking forward to pwning Light. I've wanted to for quite some time... Yet, I still feel bad about it. I really did like him in the beginning, he just got too twisted with his power. Damn god complex.

**KaiSea- **I really hope that I was able to help you in our PM; if not, I'm truly sorry. It sounded great though! Please tell me once you have it posted! And thank you, hearing that you've been so excited for this story makes my day. Sorry 'bout the delay!

**HaleyJo- **^^ Thank you! I knew you'd be glad that Rem is still alive. She's an awesome character; I hope I can give her a big role in the near future. I have a few things planned with her...

**Miorochi- **I'm glad he's back, too. Now I can actually write this without feeling overly depressed. Hehe.

**Midnight Mel- **L is a smart cookie. Haha. Cookie. How ironic. L and his sweets, the silly guy...

**Californication13- **Thank you! ^^ I wasn't sure how people would react to the last few paragraphs; like if they would think things were going too fast and whatnot. But I guess it was the right thing to do. haha. Sorry for the week and a half wait on an update (heh, that rhymed) I should have the next one up quicker though!

**lil1diva- **Wow! I really enjoyed reading all of your reviews; that must have taken you a while! Each one of them really helped, thank you for that. In response to some of them: Burnt muffins? I've never tried burnt ones. Perhaps I shall make some soon... :D I'm sorry I kept you from doing your Math homework and sleeping, hopefully you still did well the next day? And that comment about losing the game: I lost it as soon as I read it. And you just probably lost it again by reading this. I'm sorry. Haha. That damn game. I can never win! Aaah! I can't stop thinking about it! NO!! I'm losing! ^^ I'll have the lemon up soon; hopefully it won't ruin the story in any way. I sincerely hope not. You can tell me if it does, though. And Mello and Near will definitely be introduced soon. They'll both be a big part of what I have planned. Once again, thank you for taking time to review all the chapters! Hopefully you liked this latest one...

**Miss. Patty-Cake Joy Dazzel- **Heh, yes indeed! You ready for lemony goodness within the next few chapters? I'm actually quite nervous about writing it, but I'll get over that. Hopefully. ^^

**tHePuNkPriiNcEzs- **L's always thinking ahead. :3 'Tis what we love about him, yes? Haha.

**E- **Wow. Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed this chapter?

**ownpersonalhell-** Haha! I so just pictured your eyebrows wiggling and it sent me into a fit of hysterical giggling. Hehe, that's what I get for trying to write and reply to reviews at 1:15 in the morning. Limey goodness! ^^

**shapeshifter- **I could imagine your jaw dropping at some parts, you throwing imaginary shuriken at Light in others. And then drooling within the next few chapters. haha. Just kidding. Maybe. -shifty ninja eyes- Thanks for your review, dear!

**crazyasian12- **Sorry this wasn't up as soon as I'd planned! I hope what's in it makes up for it though. :D The lemon should be up in a chapter or two... ^^

**LRyuuzakisan- **Thank you so much! I'm glad you can relate to Adelynn so well, and that you're happy with what's happened so far. I won't be ending it just yet, although I really do want it to end on a happy note like this one. We have some surprises coming up soon! And I promise you, Light will go down in the worst way possible. ^^ And about your username looking weird; I have absolutely no clue why, but whenever I put in the beginning, it disappears and is just left with -san. Huh. Weird, right? So I took out the extra dash and dot. :D

**Seadrance**- Thank you for the input! It's really nice to hear that Adelynn's a well developed OC; I've always been paranoid about keeping her away from the Mary Sue traits, but she just does whatever she pleases. She won't listen to me. Neither will any of the other characters. Silly gremlins. I'm glad to hear that L is written well, also. He's another character I've always been paranoid about writing correctly. ^^ The 'Life Note' is a very interesting concept, but I think it's kind of over-used. But then again, using something from Romeo and Juliet isn't too original, either. Heh. Oh well. Near and Mello will definitely be introduced soon. I love them too much to leave them out. I read the first part of your Death Note fanfic, and I'll be leaving a review as soon as possible. It sounds very interesting so far!

**vampiresweets- **One of the best? Really? Thank you! That makes my day. I hope you liked this chapter, I think everyone may like the next few... ^^

**Landen Ru-** Near is coming soon! Excited? Haha. I love Near. He'll be the main focus of one of my next few fanfics, once I finish this one. ^^ Thank you!!

**Wow, I am currently at 143 reviews. That is so exciting. Thank you all so much! I've enjoyed reading what you all have to say, and it's so fun to reply to all of you. If it weren't for you guys, this story may have ended at Chapter 21. But thankfully with your guys' support, I've gotten some more inspiration and ideas for the upcoming chapters.**

**I'll have the next chapter up within this next week. I am so sorry this was later than usual, as I've been extremely busy. But during one of my rehearsals for the school musical, I got an idea of where I'll be going with this story. I'm not quite sure if it will work just yet, but I have a few things planned out. **

**And also, I was wondering who would be interested in a new fanfic piece about Beyond Birthday. He is an amazing character, and I've always thought it would be fun to write about him. After listening to a song by Ludo, I figured that I'd use that as a basis for my next fanfic, about him and an OC. It may not work, but I'm willing to give it a shot. It wouldn't be up until after I'm finished, or nearing the end, of this story though. ^^ What d'you think?**

**Thank you all so much, once again! :3 Be prepared for a Near and Mello intro within the next few chapters!**

**Love - Sydney**


	27. Author's Note

**As this chapter's title states, this is going to be one of those tragically annoying Author's Notes... but please read!**

Hello, dears-

This past week has been miserable, not only for me, but for my family as well.

My darling thirteen year old cat, Meeko, passed away this morning at around ten thirty. She had been perfectly fine and wonderfully cat-like up until last Friday [which was, coincidentally, the 13th]. She began to show signs of sickness and old age, which shocked my family and I, seeing as she'd always been so energetic and loving. But then... we knew something was up with her, when she stopped eating, and didn't come out to see me when I called her. We took her to the vet, who told us that her time was coming. None of us expected it to be so soon. We all loved her with all of our hearts, and we'll never forget her.

I just wanted to inform you all of this so that you understand that I am most definitely not giving up on this story. It's far too near and dear to my heart to just drop it. I know what's going to happen for the most part, and I know what the next few chapters are going to consist of. But once I saw my kitten's health rapidly deteriorating, I shut down. She has been with me for most of my life, and anyone who knows me personally knows that I am way too attached to her to be healthy. I loved her more than I loved myself. Once she stopped eating, I stopped eating. I could see that she was sick, and it sickened me in turn. And now, whenever I pick up a pen and paper, I freeze up. I haven't been thinking straight, and have neglected even my school-work. I'm failing half of my classes, when I usually get all A's and B's.

But fear not, because I'm most definitely going to finish this story. And I plan on having the next chapter up within the next two weeks. I don't want to let any of you down. That would inevitably be the death of me. I'm really very sorry for this unfortunate delay, but I will finish this story. I promise. Even if it kills me.

And I know that you all must think I'm certifiably insane for getting so worked up about this, but I really can't function correctly right now. My friends have been worried about me, and my family is, too. I miss Meeko terribly, and she's only been gone less than twelve hours...

Please don't be too upset with me. I shall return! I just need some time to sort things out.

Love- Sydney

Rest In Peace, Meeko. April 1st, 1995- February 20th, 2009. I love you, dear heart!


	28. Calm Before the Storm

**Part TwentyEight – Calm Before the Storm**

The quiet atmosphere of the surrounding woods was unsettling. Neither cricket nor bird dared to sing their song today. It was as if they sensed that a storm larger and more potent than lightning or thunder or rain was approaching. It's ironic how creatures that are seemingly less intelligent than human beings can better tell when danger will strike, when a human is oblivious as to what is so clearly right in front of them.

From the perspective of an outsider, the woods give off a feel of foreboding, of danger. The paths that used to lead into the desolate wildlife are now hidden by twisting branches and gnarled tree roots. Even with the leaves almost all fallen, there was hardly any light visible through the temporary gaps in the thick tree limbs. If a passerby were to glance into the forest for any extended period of time, the darkness to them would be full of shadows and unspeakable horrors. Without giving it any conscious thought, part of that person's mind would warn them to leave and never come back. The consequences of entering the forest would be, to most outsiders, unimaginably horrific.

In a distant part of the woods, past miles of crooked tree smiles and ominous shadows, there is a cottage. It's an old, decrepit-looking residence, and only big enough for a family of two, maybe three. One look at it and most creatures, animal and human alike, would sprint off in the opposite direction. The wooden steps leading up to the front porch were rotted and floor boards were missing every few feet. Windows, cracked from years of exposure, were boarded up and nailed shut. The whole entire cottage looked as if it had been abandoned years ago, and was almost as part of the nature as the trees that surrounded it.

The many creatures of the woods lived cautiously on the outskirts of this cottage, almost as if there was an invisible fence prohibiting their entrance. Those animals, already near-silent in fear of the cottage itself and its lowly inhabitants, were quieter on this cold day in November than they had been in years, and for good reason.

All is calm before the storm.

***********

The inside of the run-down cottage wasn't much better than its outer shell. Immediately past the front door was a small kitchen, and branching off of that was a not much larger living room, with two other doors leading to a bathroom and bedroom. Everything in the house was covered by a half-inch thick line of dust, and cobwebs could be seen in most corners and light fixtures.

To an _uninformed_ observer, the cottage would apparently be empty, save for one woman around her mid-forties, sitting alone at the kitchen table. Her strikingly blue eyes stared intensely at the slim black notebook before her, and her pale face was thoughtfully concentrated as she began to mutter to herself. At one point, she slammed her fist on the table in frustration, shaking her head furiously and shouting at an empty seat directly across the table from her. The woman's long, midnight black hair hung like a curtain over half of her face, and as she jumped up, a determined glint in her crazed eyes, it was swept once again to her back.

To an _informed_ observer, the cottage would be inhabited by two beings, both seated across from each other at the old kitchen table. As the woman with the black hair and the dark, flowing dress jumped up from her seat, the thing across from her laughed cruelly in amusement. It wasn't a laugh that came from the other one, but more of a snarl. The dark-haired woman, spurred on by a lifelong determination and the creature's mocking laughter, snatched the black notebook off of the table and swung open the front door, not daring to chance a look behind her.

As the woman stepped past the threshold of the rickety old cottage and onto the rotting porch, lightning illuminated the gray sky, followed by a clap of thunder that drowned out the sound of laughter from behind her. The rain began to pour down, and the woman sneered in distaste as her black velvet dress was soaked through. Tucking the notebook safely away in a messenger bag at her side, she set off on her journey, an apathetic mask plastered onto her pale face.

Ignoring the relentless cruel laughter from the floating shinigami behind her, the woman thought, _'Damn you, Endo. You shall see… Kira will see… Soon, the whole world will see.'_

From the cottage, there could be seen two retreating figures, one cat-like and beautiful, the other skeletal and frightening, both disappearing into the dark line of trees and mist on the little home's perimeter.

The thunder and lightning only served to better signify the severity of the situations yet to come.

And so it begins.

**--**

**A/N: Well, I'm back! I told you all in my last Author's Note that I was going to have the next chapter posted within two weeks. At that moment, I had every intention of writing it and posting it early. And now, I haven't updated in what... a month? A month and a half? I feel terrible that I've neglected you and this story for so long. I'm so sorry. This chapter is mega-short too, and for that I apologize. But last night I kicked my own ass and wrote up this chapter, and although it's not my best, it's something to let you guys know that I'm always thinking about this story. Damn you, writer's block! I'm having a hard time finding any motivation to do anything, really, but this story is near the top on my list of priorities. **

**Thank you for all of the kind messages about Meeko, and about taking this lack of updates so well. I can safely say that each and every one of the messages and reviews that you all sent pertaining to my Author's Note made me feel so much better, and every one of you helped me stay determined to continue this story. Thank you all so much, I wish I could send all of you virtual flowers and cookies. You have no idea how much your patience and kindness has helped me this past month. **

**Now onto this chapter... How did you all like it? I know it's kind of a let down, given the wait, but I thought it was about time to get this story rolling again. And I know I said that the Wammy's kids would be introduced in this update, but... I guess I lied. Heh. Sorry! They _will_ be introduced next time, and if they're not, I give you permission to throw numerous virtual shuriken in my direction. I'd deserve it.**

**I wish I had the time to reply to all of the reviews I have received in the past month and a half, but seeing as I am pressed for time I can only answer to the ones from Part 27. Forgive me! I will be back on track with this story soon...**

**--**

**Marisol Akyri-** Haha. The Three Musketeers is a good way to describe them. I am sorry that I didn't introduce them, as I promised. D: I'll have it next chapter!!

**HaleyJo-** I agree! When I was writing it, I kept thinking, _'Geez. I never got that great of a birthday present...'_ Hehe. Thank you! I thought yours was very well written, too. Are you planning on posting any new stories soon? Sorry this took so long to post...

**ownpersonalhell- **That makes a lot of sense, actually. Ha. Thank you, dear.

**Seadrance- **Thank you! :D You'll see Matt and Mello soon! ^^

**BlueMoon Goddess- **Sorry that this chapter took so long to post, but hopefully the... mystery[?] of the new characters was worth it? And I did check out your lemon with Inuyasha and Kagome. Let me say, it was good. And made me giggle at parts. [I don't giggle very often. Ha.]

**shapeshifter- **Mwaha! Kelly, struck speechless? That's a first! hehe. Thanks, dear. And yes, practice does indeed make perfect. ;D

**Tashio-** Haha. I can't wait to see their reactions either. I dunno what they'll be as of yet, since they usually conduct themselves. I don't control them at all, sadly.

**Lawlipop1031- **Favorite person? Really? Awesome! Thank you :D That makes my day. I read your lemon, _Floorboards_, and thought it was amazing. ^^ It was very well written, and both L and BB were in character the whole time. Have any plans for more?

**crazyasian12- **Thank you! I'm glad that so many people seem to like it .

**Midnight Mel-** -squeals- I love virtual cookies! Thank you, dear! :D And yes indeed, I did blush while writing it. A lot. haha.

**Landen Ru- **Thanks =D Hopefully this chapter was at least a bit worth reading?

**Siry Pop- **I'm glad that you like this story! I'm terribly sorry for the slow update. But fear not, I have returned! Heh. Thank you for your review :D

**----**

**I'm so excited to finally be posting this chapter... I've missed you all! :3**

**Love - Sydney**


	29. Home Sweet Home?

**A/N: Sorry if this seems jumbled or erroneous in any way, please let me know if there are any fatal errors in this chapter that I didn't catch. I've been neglecting myself of sleep for the past few days, and I feel as if I'm about to pass out. So I'm skipping on proofreading and praying that Microsoft Word has caught any bad grammatical errors. Thank you!**

**Part TwentyNine – Home Sweet Home?**

I made my way through a countless number of intricate hallways, stopping every so often to try and recall where I was and where I was heading. Even after being at Wammy's House for two weeks, I was still getting lost just trying to make my way to Roger's office. That was where L and his successors were currently, if I remembered correctly. Or… were they in Watari's office? I took a deep breath and let it out in a frustrated sigh.

_'I turned right at the main courtyard… now I take a left? Or go straight?'_ I started to walk forward, but changed my mind at the last second and turned left.

I hummed softly to myself as I walked through the quiet hallways, just to listen to something other than my own unsure footsteps. All of the kids here in Wammy's House were in class, I assumed, seeing as it was a Monday afternoon.

Rounding a corner, I realized that I had come full circle and ended up once again by the courtyard, in the back of the orphanage. I sighed once more, and leaned against a wall opposite the courtyard's entrance.

Although I was frustrated, I couldn't help but be amazed by the beauty of the old building, and especially of the landscape surrounding it. The hallway I stood in was brightly lit by the sunshine slanting in through the windows, and I admired the way it illuminated the golden-threaded flowers that ran along the deep red carpet. The white walls were decorated by paintings and photographs, most of which were drawn or taken by the various inhabitants of the orphanage.

Not only were most of the students here geniuses, but many of them were talented enough artistically to be the next Van Gogh, or a Beethoven for the musically adept. Though I wasn't surprised that they were all so talented, since they're being raised to succeed L, I _was_ surprised at how much like L they really were. They all had their many quirks, and all of them had that calculating look in their eyes. It was a bit unnerving at times, but usually I enjoyed it. There would never be a dull day at Wammy's House…

Through the large window in front of me, I saw a light breeze stir the remaining leaves on the large trees, and watched as a red, slightly withered leaf floated gently to the faded grass. Despite the brightly shining sun, I knew that once I stepped outside I'd be greeted with a chilling breeze. It was the beginning of December, and nearly every kid was wishing for the year's first snowfall. As for me, I wished it would stay Fall all year. Not too hot, not too cold… just perfect.

Staring outside at the nearly bare trees and the intricately bricked walkways made me almost forget what I was doing there in the first place, and I pulled myself away from my thoughts. Just as I began walking away, however, I caught something moving in my peripheral vision and stopped. I turned my head to look outside, and realized it was just a bird, hopping around and pecking the ground for food. I grinned, and watched as it made its way around the grounds. I _was _supposed to be looking for L, but for some reason I couldn't pull myself away from the beautiful courtyard. There was no important reason, really, to find him except to check in and ask a few questions, so I shrugged absently and kept my eyes fixed on the little bird. I began to walk slowly toward the entrance to the courtyard, cautiously so as to not scare the tiny creature.

I slipped easily past the doorway and into the cool afternoon breeze, always minding to keep silent. At one point the bird stopped hopping and twitched its head to the side, staring at me. I hesitated and willed it to not fly away, while slowly sitting down on the grass a few yards away from it. After a few moments of suspicious scrutiny, the little animal chirped happily and returned to its previous task. I grinned once again at the bird, and absentmindedly watched it as I thought about all that had happened recently.

After turning nineteen [finally!] and spending about a week longer at the apartment, L and I had flown out to Winchester, England, the location of Wammy's House. I hadn't been in an airplane since I was four years old, so needless to say I was a nervous wreck. But to my surprise, once the airplane took off and we were in the air, I realized that it wasn't so bad. It was a very long trip, too, so I slept most of the time anyway. I smirked as I remembered our arrival in England

--

_The plane had just landed, and I hurriedly jumped up, grabbing my carry-on backpack and L's arm. As soon as my feet touched solid ground again, I laughed in relief. The ride hadn't been too bad, but it was still nerve-racking and tremendously disorienting. I glanced over at L and said, "Let's not do that again. Not for a long, _long_ while…" He smirked at me and walked forward._

_Once we entered the large airport, we were greeted by none other than Quillish Wammy himself._

_"Watari!" I squealed, and threw my arms around his neck, almost knocking him over in my enthusiasm at seeing him alive. He chuckled in response and pat my head,_

_"Good evening, Ms. Connor," he greeted, referring to my alias, "Glad to see you're doing well."_

_I smiled in response, pulling away from the elderly man and standing next to L. A fresh surge of relief washed over me as I realized again what I could have lost, and I was temporarily overwhelmed with joy. I blinked once, hard, to clear way those damn tears that always came when I realized how fortunate I was to have them both back. L half-smiled down at me, obviously knowing what I was feeling. Still grinning, he grabbed my hand and turned to Watari._

_"Watari." L said, raising a thumb to his mouth and nodding slightly._

_"Hello, Ryuzaki." There was a knowing glint to the man's eyes as he greeted the younger detective, and an unmistakable hint of pride as he grinned back._

_From there, we collected our luggage and Watari drove us to Wammy's House. _That_ was when things got interesting._

--

I smirked as I remembered pulling up to Wammy's House, recalling with clarity the shock at seeing the grand old building, and the hesitation I'd first felt around the extraordinary students. A few of them stood out to me in particular- there was one girl, Kat [or 'K'], whose various drawings lined many walls of the building and landed her a spot in Wammy's House. But it was her witty personality that made me remember her; from the first day that I met her, she wasn't afraid to speak her mind and say something that would catch me completely off guard. I got a laugh every time I was around her. There was also Ayako Saitou, who always had a small black kitten trailing after her. She was a very quiet young girl, which struck me as odd since she hung out with Kat a lot. When I first saw her, she was cradling the black kitten in her arms, and had looked up at me with piercingly gray eyes.

--

_"You're feeling uncomfortable, aren't you?" The girl asked, stroking the kitten's head gently. "I know how that feels."_

_I was slightly unnerved by her intense gaze, so much like L's, yet so full of emotion. She seemed to see right past me, and I wriggled under her calculating scrutiny. Of course, she was right. I was surrounded by kids who had more talent in their pinky finger than I did in my whole body! I frowned as that thought crossed my mind._

_My voice was defensive as I stuttered, "N-no, really, I-"_

_"There's no need to lie." The younger kid snapped at me. I was briefly taken aback, but then realized that she was right. "Lying makes everything worse, in the end."_

_There was obvious pain in her deep gray eyes, and I wondered what had happened to her before she'd gotten to Wammy's House. When I didn't answer her, she said in a softer voice, "My name is Ayako Saitou. It was nice meeting you, Adelynn Jae Christoph."_

_With that, the twelve year old turned on her heel and left, kitten still in her small arms._

--

After that first meeting, I'd only seen her a few more times; either she was alone with that kitten, or with Kat. Each time I saw her I wanted to approach and talk to her, but every time I stopped just short of reaching her, not sure of what I could say. Maybe that was why she was alone a lot of the time, people probably felt intimidated. '_Next time I'll speak with her…_'

And, of course, there were L's two successors: Mello and Near. I met them almost as soon as I had walked through the large wooden front doors of the orphanage. Near had been kneeling about a yard away from the entrance, a toy car in one hand and the fingers of his other fiddling with a lock of his white hair. His emotionless gray eyes had swiveled up to meet mine for a moment, and then flickered to L's. He smirked, noting our twined hands and my nervous composure, then went back to playing with his blue car. Mello was leaning against a wall directly opposite of where the younger successor was sitting, his leather jacket reflecting a bit of the chandelier's light and his arms crossed. He glared at Near, seeing that we had noticed him first apparently, and then narrowed his eyes when he saw that I was looking over at him. I had averted my gaze then, and instead focused on the young boy with the shockingly white hair. He reminded me of L more than any kid I had seen running around outside; his eyes were an emotionless gray-black, he had a prominent slouch, and he sat with his feet pulled up to his chest, just the same as L. I immediately took a liking to this boy. Mello, on the other hand, I wasn't so sure about. His obvious hostility didn't really help things.

I still don't really know either of them at all right now. I have seen them a few times, just off doing their own thing around the orphanage. Neither of them had really made any effort to befriend me, and I was fine with that. Right now, though, the two heads of the house, Roger and Watari, and L's two successors, Near and Mello, would be meeting with L. Which is why I figured they'd be in either Watari's or Roger's office. If only I knew how to get to either of those...

I watched the bird hop happily around the courtyard, and smiled encouragingly at it as it drew nearer to where I sat. Just as it was mere inches away from my outstretched legs, dark storm clouds rolled in and blocked the sunlight that had lit up the outside premises. That didn't really surprise me, though, since it had been raining randomly on and off for the past few weeks. I assumed that this rains was just foreshadowing the coming of snow. That was something I was _not_ going to enjoy.

The little red bird that had been my company for the afternoon stopped hopping and tilted its head to the side. I held my breath and sat still as stone, wondering if I had frightened it in any way. After a moment it looked at me and then took off, leaving without as much as a farewell chirp. I sat there for a minute, glaring at the storm clouds that had darkened the sunny afternoon. When I stood up to go, I caught something moving out of the corner of my eye; it reminded me of earlier, when I'd first seen something moving. I swung around curiously, wondering if my bird friend was back, and gasped.

Right behind where I'd been sitting was a stone bench. Perched haphazardly on its armrest was now a raven, its wings ruffled and its piercing black eyes staring directly at me. I didn't know why, but at that moment a cold trickle of fear ran through me, and I stepped back cautiously. Its gaze never wavering from mine, the ominous bird flexed its talons. I stepped back again, more hurriedly this time, and jumped backwards in fright when it cawed loudly and spread its wings. With no further thought, I whipped around and started to run back inside. As soon as I did this, the bird flapped its wings and cawed again, its hoarse, mocking tone following me as I dashed through the doors and into the safety of the orphanage.

Through the window I saw the raven fly away, its sharp talons glistening even in the gloom. It was still cawing as it left, and from where I stood I could've sworn it was laughing. I shuddered and folded my arms across my chest, heart beating rapidly, and hurried out of that hallway and into the next.

**--**

**A/N: Hello once again! I'm glad that I was able to get this chapter up this weekend. I would have had it up sooner, but I just recently finished Driving School and am doing in-cars whenever they schedule me. But I have gotten the main time-consuming things out of my way, at least for now. The musical is over, I took my Ohio Graduation Tests [OGT's. OverlyGrotesqueTimewasters.], and I am planning on shutting myself in my room and once again becoming the anti-social kid that updates her fanfiction story once or twice a week. **

**So... ominous raven? I dunno. Ravens have always freaked me out. But this one didn't start saying, "Nevermore." Thank goodness. I think Adelynn would have passed out, the poor kid. The next chapter I post will pick up exactly right where this one left off, since she still needs to go and find L. But seeing as I wanted to have this one out by this weekend, I ended it just a bit shorter than I originally intended. Review please, loves! **

**Also, I put up a [very crappy] picture of L and Adelynn on my deviantART. There's a link to my dA account on my profile. Check 'em out!**

**And IknowIknowIknow that this chapter contained a very brief, unsatisfying overview of Mello and Near. But bear with me, I have plans for them in the next chapter. Adelynn still doesn't know them very well, so she'll be closer to them in just a bit. Matt will appear, too, the silly boy!**

**---**

**I felt terrible that I never replied to any of the reviews that were sent pertaining to my Author's Note in Chapter 28. So, here they are! Once again, thank you all. -hugs everyone- You really are like a second family to me. My fanfiction family. =] If I missed any of you, you have my full permission to bombard me with angry PMs filled with whatever you see fit. ^^**

**LRyuuzakisan-** Thank you, I am feeling a lot better now. I think I just needed a break. And to shut down for a while. But now it's back to busy bee me! Heh.

**Miorochi-** :3 Thanks. I'm glad you liked the lemon.

**xXImmortalsxDiceXx-** That's terrible! I'm so sorry. I couldn't imagine losing three pets in such a small period of time. I'm truly sorry. And that's right, we will see them again soon. :] What a happy day that will be.

**KaiSea-** Thank you. I didn't mean to take such a long break, but it's good to know that you were fine with it. :3

**MakoStorm- **Thanks. Sorry this took so long to reply to. But don't worry about your cat just yet, I'm sure you'll have many more happy years with her. And I'm here to talk to if you ever needed someone...

**Lawlipop1031- **I'm glad that you weren't too upset that I was taking a break, it was good to know that you'd still be there when I got back. :] Thank you.

**ownpersonalhell-** It kills me to see you hurt, too, dear. I want you to feel better soon. I'm sorry I haven't been very... communicative lately. I love you too. =\

**Landen Ru-** Aww. Baxter is a good name for a dog. Thanks. You have a good day, too.

**Lillulan-** Thank you. I'm happy that you like this story so much, and that you're glad to hear it's not ending just yet. And that's very sad, I'm sorry for your loss, as well. I wish our animal friends could live just as long as we do.

**crazyasian12-** Don't worry, I'm not suicidal. ^^ I could never kill myself, and not finish this story. If I did, I'd probably come back as a ghost, because of that unfinished business. I'd be haunting FF. Haha. You're right, Meeko would have probably clawed my eyes out if she saw how down I was. Heh. She was a silly kitty. Thank you.

**Midnight Mel-** Thank you, dear. I'm sorry to hear about Carm, and I hope that you and Blackie have a very long, happy time together. And I'm sure that the Cat Goddess is taking good care of Meeko and Carm.

**random-tuesday-** Fantasia is a very fitting name for a cat. :3 An outdoor kitty, eh? She sounds like a tough one. Heh. I don't think it's normal for cats to pass away at thirteen, though. I was expecting Meeko to go when she was around seventeen, but I guess there were things wrong with her that we didn't know about until she started getting sick. I'm here to talk to, though, if something happens. Thank you, dear. And I'm so glad that you like this story! ^^ I just posted a few new drawings on dA, and I am on my Gaia almost 24/7. Heh. I agree, Gaia is extremely addictive. Crack-fics? I haven't read any of those. Maybe I should start... :D

**Mistress Eries-** Thank you. I'm sorry that it took a while to reply to your review, and get something new posted. And I'm sorry about your dog, that must've been a terrible feeling.

**Kookie-chan-** Thank you =] I do feel a bit better, now. I can actually function. Heh. Glad you like this story :D

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**A/N: Now to reply to the reviews from Chapter 29! -sweatdrop- I think the replies are longer than the actual chapter... **

**XxImmortalsxDiceXx- **Hehehe. I can't reveal who she is, not just yet. But you will see! Eventually. Thank you, dear! I hope the upcoming chapters seem a bit more interesting than this one was... ^^

**EleganBlack-** Ha! Thank you for holding back on those shuriken and kunai. I would have been very virtually sad if you hadn't. Haha. Just kidding. And I hope that Mello didn't hurt you for stealing his chocolate. If he did, I'd be very disappointed in him and hide his leather jacket for a while. Mwahaha! But I really and truly am sorry that they didn't play a big part in this chapter. At least I introduced them, though. ^^ Can't wait for you to update your story, as well...

**Lawlipop1031-** Aww thank you! I've never had my tonsils taken out, so I have no clue how that feels. It must suck, though! Glad I could make you feel a bit better :D Tell me when you post that story, and more lemons! I'd love to read them.

**KaiSea- **Yes, this new character will definitely throw things off balance for everyone! Hehe. I love controlling other people's fates. Even if they are just fictional characters... ^^ I'm glad you liked the chapter! Thank you. :3

**Kookiechan- **-plays Jaws theme- It's more like that. haha. But yes, this new girl will make things a bit darker and confusing. Yay for multiple Death Notes! :D

**melancolie- **L-hotness-poisoning? Woah! I never thought of it that way. That could definitely be a new sickness. Maybe I'll use that as an excuse to stay home from school and write one of these days... hehe. I know, I'm jealous of Adelynn. That silly kiddoe. I never got that great of a birthday present. -.- Haha. Thank you, I'm happy that you like this story!

**Amber- **Thank you! And, much to my paren't surprise, this past quarter I didn't do so well in English. I think it was because I didn't do my homework. Damn homework. Heh.

**xXxDamienMaslinxXx- **Really? Cool! Hopefully I can keep my ranking, then! I shall work extra hard now. -insert shifty ninja eyes here- If you ever do invent that machine, can I borrow it? I'd love to jump out and surprise my friends. They just might kill me, though. And I'm glad that you like this story so much, your review made me laugh. I had almost the same reaction as you when I saw L die. It was not a good day for me. ^^ I asked myself those same two questions while writing the lemon, coincidentally. Hehe. Thank you, I'm glad that you have enjoyed reading it so far.

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**A/N: Well, now that those are over and done with, I will get back to writing Part Thirty! Have a good day, everyone! And just in case I don't post anything on Sunday, Happy Easter to everyone! Hope Mello doesn't steal any of your Easter baskets. O.o **

**Love - Sydney**


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